


Dead Comforts

by hwire



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Character Death, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Insanity, Marichat, miraculous corruption
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2019-09-26 14:28:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17143472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hwire/pseuds/hwire
Summary: Dating is hard. They say practice makes perfect, so why not ask the cute girl who sits behind you for a trial run? After all, she told you she liked someone else. It's all fun and games until someone falls in love, but that won't happen. Right? Marichat trash. M for language, dub-con and other dark elements. Inspired by Melanie Martinez's song Carousel. On FF.net under my other name, Ghostryder195





	1. Round and Round

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all!  
> This is by far my most popular story on ff.net so I felt it was only right to give it a chance to shine on here, which is where I'll be posting most of my stories from now on. Enjoy!

It was a shame, some may say, that the moonbeams dancing off the Eiffel Tower were completely ignored by the blue haired girl who currently had a front row seat of the view. The full moon seemed impossibly bright, casting down its light in a downright cheesy, romance movie fashion. But as long as it gave enough light for Marinette to finish her sketch, she decided it could be as cheesy as it damn well pleased. Her tongue peeked out of her mouth in concentration. Was the lace on the sweetheart neckline too much? No, she decided. She needed more. Perhaps have the black lace spread to form a mock-turtleneck collar? That would keep the dress teasing without being too revealing. Oh! She could take it one step further and add lace gauntlets as well. That would add some warmth. Spring may be just around the corner, but that didn't make it any less chilly in the evenings. She nodded in approval at the finished product.

"What do you think, Tikki?" she asked the red kwami perched on her shoulder. "Good enough for the party?" Her companion leapt up and did an excited twirl. "It's perfect, Marinette! You'll be the belle of the ball." Marinette giggled, unaware of the tension that had suddenly overcome her friend. Tikki's pupils had shrunk to pinpoints, and she darted wordlessly into in the pink clutch resting beside them. The bluenette glanced into the bag quizzically, but held her tongue when the kwami held a paw to her mouth. Marinette swallowed. Someone was coming.

Nervously, the teen scanned the park around her. The silent carousel on the other side of the fountain gave off a ghostly vibe that made her shiver. When had it gotten so dark? She pulled her purse closer to her, ready to call for her transformation at a second's notice. She blindly gathered up her art supplies, carefully watching over her shoulder. "Tikki?" she whispered to her purse. "What did you hear?" The complete lack of response did little to soothe her nerves. The sun had long since disappeared, far longer ago than she'd realized. She knew it was highly doubtful anyone with good intentions would be lurking around this late. Yes, she decided to herself as she began briskly walking towards home, it was probably time to call it a night. Getting murdered wasn't exactly at the top of her to do list, and she was a firm believer that if it wasn't an akuma, it wasn't her problem. A prominent rustle came from the tree beside her and she froze in her tracks.

"Leaving so soon, Princess?" a voice called from above. Her head jerked up hard enough to be painful, meeting two mischievous, green eyes that peered at her from the branches. The grin he gave her was almost frightening in the dark, and she bizarrely wondered if this was how Alice felt when she met the Cheshire Cat.

"Chat Noir!" she scolded in an odd mix of relief and exasperation. "You scared me."

"My apologies," he spoke solemnly. "That was not my intent."

She glowered. The playful glint in his eyes told a different story. "What are you doing, Kitty?" She knew for a fact they didn't have a patrol tonight.

"I'm sitting in this tree." he answered matter-of-factly, straightening his shoulders.

Marinette drug a hand across her face. Sometimes, she really hated him. He dangled a boot clad foot in front of her face. "You should join me."

"I can't climb," she lied. Well, it wasn't a total lie, when she wasn't Ladybug, any sort of physical activity was a challenge. "Not a problem," he replied cheerfully, a familiar black belt dropping down. "I'll pull you up."

"I need to get home, Chat."

The belt tail swung persistently in her face. "And I need someone to stargaze with."

She groaned as her heart got the better of her, it was no secret that Chat didn't have many friends. Sighing in defeat, she wrapped her fingers around the black leather. "Five minutes," she announced firmly. "Then I gotta get home." If it was possible, his neon eyes got even brighter. The cry that left her mouth was completely involuntarily as he swiftly yanked her up, plopping her beside him. She struggled to gain her balance on the thick branch, and black claws gently grasped her shoulders to steady her. The blond smiled at her, then glanced up towards the sky. She did the same, blinking dumbly as all she saw was moonlight dancing through the budding leaves. "Chat," she spoke slowly. "You can't see the stars from here."

He snorted. "We live in Paris, Mari. You can't see the stars anywhere. Too much light pollution."

She stared at him incredulously. "Then what are we doing?" He shrugged, causing his bell to jingle softly.

"I like to pretend."

Marinette stared at him blankly. "You are the biggest dork I have ever met in my life."

He laughed, smiling like a little kid. "But you love it."

"I will jump out of this tree."

"No, you won't. It would pain you too much to leave my wonderful presence."

Her eyes rolled up so far Chat was mildly surprised they didn't get stuck in her head. He wondered briefly if the amount of entertainment he got from annoying her was healthy. "Now, I have to ask," he continued, eyes to the empty sky again. "What is a girl like you doing out so late? Other than to bask in my handsomeness, of course." Chat bit back a laugh, feeling her glare burn into the side of his skull. He decided it was probably best not to agitate her further. She may be tiny, but he had no doubt she could and would deal him a shiner. Her silence was not exactly reassuring.

"Inspiration," she said finally, her previous irritation slowly dissolving."I needed some ideas for a dress I'm making." she retrieved her sketchbook from her bag and thumbed through a few pages, stopping on a page with a satisfied hum. She fully opened the book and handed it over. It was dark, but they both knew his powers granted him perfect sight with or without light. Chat raised an eyebrow curiously. The dress design was simple, knee length red skirt and a red bodice, black lace covering the collarbones and neck, and elegant black gauntlets that covered the top of the hands with a point.

"My best friend, Alya, is throwing a St. Valentine's party in a few weeks," she explained simply. "I wanted to wear something nice."

Chat nodded with a broad smile in approval. "This is great, Marinette! I'm sure you'll look lovely in it." Of course, he knew all about Ayla's party. He had been invited and was currently in the process of convincing his father to allow him to attend. "But will you have enough time to finish it?"

Marinette nodded firmly. "Easily. If I don't have too much homework," _or too many akuma attacks_ , she added silently to herself. "I'll have it done in about two weeks."

He whistled. "Wow! Even my dad would be impressed with that."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Your dad?" He froze.

Shit. He forgot he wasn't Adrien. Chat scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously. "Y-yeah! My dad likes to make clothes and, uh stuff sometimes."

"Oh? Is he a designer?"

The blond quickly raised his gloved hands in dismissal. "No! No, just a...hobby, I guess."

Marinette hummed. "Interesting."

Chat panicked internally as his mouth refused to close. He was lucky that his previous statement hadn't raised any suspicion, why couldn't he leave well enough alone? "Yeah… but it's an important hobby," he found himself saying with a bitter laugh. "Sometimes I feel like it's more important than me." He tensed when a hand rested on his shoulder sympathetically.

"I'm sure that's not true. It's easy for people to get wrapped up in things. Maybe you should tell him that you feel ignored sometimes."

Feeling ignored didn't even begin to describe it. Chat smiled sadly. "He's not exactly the talking type, I'm afraid."

She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You never know unless you try. Maybe he'll surprise you." He reached for her free hand, and brought it to his lips.

"Of course, Princess." he mumbled into her skin, planting a tender kiss on her knuckle. He appreciated her concern, and it wasn't her fault that the advice was useless. She didn't know the whole story. Chat gently released her hand, genuinely surprised that she hadn't already yanked it away. He smiled warmly at her, slightly amused by the light flush in her cheeks. She cleared her throat.

"Well, chaton, your five minutes are up. My parents are gonna be worried, I need to get home."

He nodded at her, working to mask his disappointment. "Certainly." he jumped from his place on branch and landed silently on the ground. He turned, lifting his hand to assist her. She gathered her belongings and grabbed it, letting herself fall. She winced at the slight impact of her feet on the dirt. "Thanks," she said with a kind smile as she released his hand.

"I'll see you around." He shook his head. "What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you walk home alone at this time of night?" Chat didn't give her a chance to respond before he swiftly scooped her up in his arms. "Don't worry," he smirked at her surprised expression. "I'll have you home before you can say 'thank you'." And with that, he broke into a run.

* * *

 

"Plagg, claws in."

The black kwami shot out of his ring like a bullet and the familiar green light consumed Chat, leaving Adrien in its wake. He closed his eyes fell back onto his bed with a contented sigh. That evening walk had gone far better than expected. A small weight settle on his forehead.

"What the hell was all that?"

Adrien stubbornly kept his eyelids shut. "Please get off my face, Plagg."

His kwami ignored him, taking on a falsetto voice. ""Shut up, Plagg. She's just a friend, Plagg."" Adrien groaned, swatting him off his face and sitting up on the mattress.

"Marinette is just a friend! A dear friend, certainly, but still just a friend. You know I love Ladybug."

Plagg rolled his eyes. Oh well. He tried. That boy was as dense as they come. "Whatever. You promised me extra camembert for that unnecessary transformation." Adrien sighed, sliding off the bed.

"I know, I know. I'll be right back."

* * *

 

The giant marble house was empty, much to his relief. Explaining why he wanted so much camembert to the hired chef was getting awkward. The old man had started to assume he had an emotional dependence on it and had gone so far as to offer setting him up with a counselor. He grimaced at the memory. It was not something he wanted to relive anytime soon.

The kitchen was dark, the only sound to be heard was the quiet buzz of the stainless steel dishwashers. His shoes squeaked slightly on the spotless floors as he made his way over to the over-sized refrigerator. _Alright_ , he pulled the shiny doors open. _Where are you, you little stinker?_ He hummed thoughtfully to himself as he dug through the various goods in the fridge. He dearly hope the chef had not gone through with his threatened cheese intervention. But if that was the case, Plagg had no one to blame but himself. After all, Adrien's bad luck had been inherited from the black kwami.

"Adrien?" A collected voice asked. "What are you doing?"

The blond yelped in surprise, knocking his head on the cold glass shelf above him. He stumbled back from the refrigerator, quickly closing it. The kitchen suddenly seemed far darker than it had before, and his eyes struggled to adjust. "Oh, uh hi father! I was just getting a snack before bed."

"Oh?" The older man replied. "Did you not get enough food at dinner?"

"N-no?" He cursed the uneasiness in his voice.

Gabriel sighed. "Adrien, you know you are not to eat anything after six. It would throw your whole diet out of balance. Make sure you get your full portion at designated meal times." Adrien sighed in defeat. _Sorry, Plagg_.

"Yes, father." The man nodded in approval. "Very good. But that's not what I was coming to talk to you about."

Adrien raised in eyebrow. His father had actually been seeking him out to talk? This wasn't going to end well. "As I'm sure you know, next Tuesday evening is the anniversary celebration for Agreste."

The boy scoffed to himself at his father's nickname for the brand, always treating it like it actually had something to do with family.

"And," Gabriel continued. "I'm sure you know I want you to take a part in it. There will be a special showcase, where we will bring out some of our more popular retired designs from the archive."

"And you want me to model some?" Adrien guessed, trying to keep boredom out of his voice.

He nodded. "Yes. I've already ordered the designs of my choosing to be made in your measurements. However, alterations will likely be required. I've already informed your school that you will be absent until after the showcase, so there will be plenty of time for such changes to be made."

Adrien felt his heart plummet to his feet. No school, no friends, and entire week of people poking him with needles? No thanks.

"This is very important, Adrien. I need not remind you that this company is in the spotlight. It's very future depends on the success of this night."

He nodded dejectedly, knowing that any protesting would only make the situation worse. At least I got to hang out with Marinette tonight. "Of course, father."

Gabriel nodded in stiff approval. "D'accord. Bonne nuit, Adrien."

* * *

 

Plagg assaulted him as soon as he walked through door.

"That took forever! You better have brought me some good stuff."

Adrien winced, rubbing his arm awkwardly. "I'm really sorry. My dad caught me."

The kwami visibly deflated. "Oh."

"Raincheck?" he asked sheepishly.

"Don't get used to it."


	2. Glued on Tight

Adrien stubbornly sank his teeth into his lip, determined to stifle the cry of pain that threatened to escape. A simple pin prick would be nothing to Chat Noir, and he decided it would be nothing to Adrien either. Still, he couldn't say he'd mind it if the seamstress would pay a little more attention to where the sharp bits were pointed. She was understandably nervous, working for Gabriel Agreste was nothing to take lightly, of course, but she'd been around for years. Anniversary or not, she needed to relax. For both their sakes. He winced when she shifted the sleeve and the pin sunk deeper. Seriously, how did she not notice? He didn't dare speak with the other seamstresses in the room, she'd be humiliated- and oh god, he was bleeding, wasn't he? He quickly glanced to the ceiling, trying to focus on the elegant architecture. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts. He supposed he should be grateful his father hadn't allowed the interns to have any part in his fittings; there was no room for errors after all. and while Adrien was fond of many of the newbies he'd become acquainted with, there were certainly downsides to being their guinea pigs.

"Alright, Mr. Agreste," the young woman spoke suddenly and Adrien discreetly rolled his eyes. He wished his father hadn't insisted they call him that. "You may remove it, and take a break while I correct the sleeve."

"Thanks. Um, could you pull the pin on my shoulder out?" he spoke softly as possible. 'It's, uh, kinda stuck in my skin."

The woman's grey eyes widened in horror, quickly moving to remove the offending object, and he pointedly ignored the red stain on the fabrique. "Mon Dieu! Why didn't you tell me?" her hand subconsciously fiddled with the pin cushion around her wrist.

The boy smiled sheepishly as the others looked their way curiously. _So much for subtlety._ He shrugged off the black blazer carefully, draping it over his arm. "It wasn't a big deal. Thanks, Miriam."

She took the jacket from him gingerly, letting out a sigh. "You've taken everything so well, these last few days. Any other boy I know would certainly have gone insane. Your father will be proud."

Adrien flashed her his signature model smile. "That's the hope, isn't it?"

* * *

"Moping about it isn't going to make him appear, Mari." Alya nudged her friend gently.

"I can try," the bluenette mumbled from her face down position on their shared desk. "He's been gone for _days._ "

Alya placed a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder. "Come on. It's _Adrien._ He'd be here if he could, and he'll come back as soon as he can."

Marinette's head perked up. "That's just it! There's nothing on his schedule that would keep him away this long! What if something happened to him? What if he's hurt?" she stared at her friend in horror. "What if he...died?"

 _God give me strength._ "Girl, if anything happened to the son Gabriel freaking Agreste, it'd be all over the news. We'd know about it."

Marinette's eyes grew in realisation. "Oh my gosh, Alya, you're right!"

"Aren't I always?"

The bluenette carried on, seamlessly ignoring her friend's input. "The Gabriel Agreste anniversary celebration is tonight! That's why he's been gone! Preparations for the show. Why didn't I think of that?" she let out a happy squeal. "He's not dead!"

"Marinette! Alya!" Mme. Bustier scolded. "I would appreciate it if you postponed your conversation until after my lesson."

Marinette slunk in her seat, face flaring in realization. Their conversation had apparently not been as private as she'd thought. Nino smirked knowingly. _Great. Now he's gonna tell Adrien I'm a creep._

She turned her focus to her tablet, feeling the heat in her face slowly recede. Today could not get any worse.

* * *

"B-but, sir! I can fix it! It's a tiny error "

Gabriel glowered down at the woman. "There is _blood_ , _my son's_ blood staining the sleeve! It's completely unfit for the showcase."

She wrung her hands desperately. "I'm so sorry, sir. It was an accident. But I do have expertise in removing stains of all kinds. Please, just let me-"

"No," the man barked. "I don't believe we have anymore need for your services. You are dismissed."

"I'm...fired?" she asked in disbelief.

"If you wish to phrase it that way, yes."

"But I've been with you for years! You promised me recognition tonight!"

Mr. Agreste briefly glanced up from his desk, the white, stained shirt laying before him. "It is a shame," he agreed. "You showed such potential."

Miriam froze, feeling a lifetime's worth of dreams crumble to dust and pile at her feet. "Sir, if this is about what Elizabeth told you, I can assure you-"

"Goodbye, Ms. Dumont," he spoke in clear dismissal. "I hope you find successful employment elsewhere."

She backed up slowly, her hand finding the knob of the office door. Her eyes blurred with tears. Everything she had sweat over, cried over and bled over for years was gone in an instant.

But she would not be the only one losing everything. She would see to that.

* * *

Marinette had arrived back at school remarkably early, and she had to admit it was pleasant to be able to relax. The steps outside the building had warmed nicely in the sun, and made a perfect spot to spend the last ten minutes of her lunch break. The breeze gently toyed with her hair, sending friendly little tingles up her spin. Spring was certainly in a rush this year.

She let her bag slide off her arm, humming as she unzipped it and retrieved the sketchbook inside. She flipped it open and grinned fondly at her newest creation. The red velvet she'd happened upon last night was going to be perfect, and it had been on sale! Now all she needed was the lace. To her great agitation however, her fabrique store of choice had only carried white and purple. She was going to have to go across town to get black, and that meant she'd have to be accompanied by a parent or Ayla. she groaned dejectedly. Catching any of them when they were free long enough was going to be a challenge. How was she going to get it in time?

A scream rang through the streets, tearing the girl away from her work.

She leapt to her feet, quickly dropping her sketchbook into her bag and zipping it closed. "Did you hear that, Tikki?"

The excited wiggling in her clutch insured her that the kwami, in fact, had.

Marinette grinned as she clicked open her purse. "Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

Ladybug did not fear needles.

She never flinched at the doctors while receiving shots, and it failed to alarm her when she accidently stepped on one, lone and forgotten on her floor. She'd pulled countless pins and from her bare feet over the years, but her deep love of sewing had successfully kept any phobia at bay.

Yes, no one could deny that Marinette Dupain-Cheng had absolutely no fear of needles.

But when they were three feet long and as thick as her thumb, Ladybug supposed she could make an exception.

She cried out in alarm when another one whizzed by her ear, narrowly missing her. Where on earth was Chat Noir? She somersaulted away from the akuma, The Seamstress, as she called herself, and desperately tried to think of a plan. The akuma seemed to be pure anger, without rhyme or rhythm. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out what her motive was. Her needles were no doubt fatal, judging by the way they lodged unforgivingly in whatever they landed in. She had to keep her contained and distracted; the cost would be far too high if she managed to branch out into the city. She didn't even think her magic would to be able to undo death. But luck was on her side, and she'd managed to lead the villain to a secluded parking lot, free from bystanders.

Pin after pin and needle after needle shot relentlessly from the Seamstress' pin cushion bracelet. Her eyes seemed somewhat bloodshot behind their swirly masquerade mask, and her brown hair was frazzled. But the emerald, floor length dress she wore was stunning, and even as Ladybug ran for her life, she couldn't help but appreciate the quality. Gold embroidery adorned the skirt, and the sheer, draping black sleeves. It looked like it had walked right out of a fairy tale and onto the wicked witch. It was honestly a bit unsettling.

"My skills are unmatched," she screeched at the heroine. "Tonight would have been the night my whole life has led up to. He took it from me!"

Ladybug catapulted herself onto a street light. "Who took what from you?"

"Gabriel Agreste! He took everything!"

She gripped the pole a little tighter. If Gabriel was the target, there was a sickeningly high chance Adrien would be caught in the crossfire. Ladybug swallowed. This was one akuma she refused to let anywhere near him. She would not lose him forever.

"There are other ways to handle disappointment, Seamstress! I know whatever he did must hurt deeply, but you don't need to go hurting others!"

The woman simply shrieked, holding a hand adorned with ridiculously long nails into the air. Blood began to drip down her fingers and pool in her palm. She flung the liquid onto the asphalt below her, where it instantly dried, leaving a bright red stain. "I'll ruin his showcase, and then I'll end him!"  
Ladybug leapt back to the ground, sprinting across the parking lot. Blood splashing at her feet and needles whizzing past her ears. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

For the most part, the fittings had gone smoothly, Adrien mused. One of the assistants had even been kind enough to switch on his TV so he wasn't too mind numbingly bored. It was turned to some comedy show that was a bit off color, but he couldn't find it in himself to complain. Plagg had certainly enjoyed it, from his place hidden amongst couch cushions. It was too quiet for any of the workers to recognise, but he'd know the kwami's snicker anywhere.

The main character blurted out another dick joke, and the women adjusting a pair of his pants dropped them in exasperation. "Can we _please_ change the channel?"

Adrien quickly coughed over the distinct mutter of "buzzkill" coming from a couch pillow.

The assistant nodded, swiftly making her way to the remote and punching on the buttons. The screen switched to a news broadcast. A nervous anchorwoman chattered into her microphone.

"-and Ladybug has ordered all civilians to remain indoors. With still no sign of Chat Noir, she does not know how long it will take to purify this victim."

Adrien froze. An akuma? Now? Just his luck. How on earth was he going to slip away? He turned his focus intently on the screen.  
It had changed to footage of the fight, Ladybug swinging from building to building, dodging what looked like spears maybe? The akuma was close behind, continuing to fire her weapon in all directions. Her dress was lovely, but only half finished. Needles magically weaved their way in and out of the bottom hem, but made no progress in completing it. She seemed familiar for sure, even with her bizarre screeches and mask. Her red hair tore around in the wind, somehow reminding him of a neat ponytail, and a prick in his shoulder. He paled. She never had returned after lunch…  
He froze, Ladybug's cries telling the reporters to leave the area was suddenly nothing more than background noise

_Miriam._

* * *

Ladybug was on her last leg when he was finally able to come to her aid. She was bruised and bleeding, and he didn't even try to swallow the guilt swelling in his chest.

The Seamstress stood over her kneeling form menacingly, snarling threats that Chat couldn't quite make out. But he didn't need to. He'd be damned if she laid another finger on his lady.  
He all but ripped his baton from his back, rapidly extending it. It left his hand with power he didn't know he possessed and hit its mark, slamming into the akuma's temple. She tumbled over with a shriek, and Chat seized the opportunity. Racing forward, he scooped his partner off the stained asphalt and swiftly leapt to hide behind a nearby dumpster. He sat down gently, refusing to let her slide off his lap. Ladybug winced at every shift of weight, and his guilt spiked, firmly rooting him in place.

"I'm so, so sorry, my lady," he muttered into her hair. "I couldn't get away-"

She weakly rolled away, stumbling to her feet. "There's no time for that, Chat. This akuma...she's deadly. We can't let her out of our sight."

Chat tilted his head. "Can you fix any damage with your cure?"

She shook her head, quietly yanking a forgotten needle from the side of the dumpster and cradling it in her palms. Chat gulped.

"These things, they don't cast a hate spell on you, they don't zap you to a photo dimension or turn you into robot loot, they destroy."

"But you were able to restore everyone who was touched by Timebreaker," he argued. "They were technically dead."

"No, I didn't. I only took everything back to the original timeline. Anyone who was touched by Timebreaker stayed frozen," she paused. "Even you."

Chat stared. He had never completely understood what happened that day, his only conclusion being that Hawkmoth was a giant dick.  
"Come again?"

She groaned, checking to make sure the current akuma was still nearby looking for them. "It was like a video game. You know, like when you die, you go back to your last save, and the timeline you died in disappears."

That...actually made sense.

"And the game isn't saved this time?"

She tightened her jaw. "No. It's not."

"Alright. So what's the plan?"

Ladybug stiffened. "She's not the easiest person to chat with, but from what I gather, she's angry at Gabriel Agreste and headed to the-,"

"Carrousel du Louvre." Chat ended for her, feeling slightly sick.

She stared at him curiously. "Yeah. How did you know?"

He let out a nervous chuckle. "Oh, everyone who's anyone knows he's got that big show there tonight."

Lady nodded. "Yeah. So right now, the plan is to keep her contained at all costs, and hopefully find her object."  
He gave her a weak grin. "You got it." He rose to his feet, preparing to jump into the fight.  
She grabbed his arm. "Hey, Chat?"  
He turned, momentarily surprised by the sudden emotion in her gaze. "Yeah?"  
"Don't take the hit for me this time around."

* * *

It was official. He was going to kill his father.

His lady had been right, their current opponent was not much of a conversationalist, but one thing was certain. She had been fired, and as he remembered the pinch in his bicep, he had a pretty good idea as to why.

He had seen the stain, but it had seemed so unimportant that Adrien had allowed it to completely slip his mind. It wasn't anything a little Oxiclean couldn't fix.

He growled as he leapt to dodge the splash of blood aimed at his face. His father was so unreasonable. Anniversary or not, there absolutely no need to ruin the poor girl's life. Hell, they could have gone to the department store down the street and gotten a replacement shirt, a little steam and no one would be able to tell the difference. It was such an insignificant issue. Something that could have easily been overlooked. His father had often told him that showing any sort of weakness just gave people an invitation to walk all over you. Adrien had personally seen such a perspective as idiotic.

It was Gabriel's fault that Ladybug was hunched over on the concrete, spitting out blood. Whether if it was her own, or fired at her by the Seamstress however, Chat was uncertain. But he knew he had to get her out of there, he didn't care what the cost. He dove down to her, twirling baton deflecting the aerial attacks. "Hang in there, Ladybug. We'll figure something out." he tried to keep the strain out of his voice.

"I have to use my Lucky Charm!"

"What? No, you can't! There's no way for your kwami to recharge if it doesn't work."

"What other choice do we have, Chat? We can't keep her contained forever. We're both lagging, and we can't afford any wrong moves…," her voice faded, eyes widened in horror.

Chat paused, listening. No more projectiles hit his makeshift shield. He stopped twirling it, but was too afraid to turn around.

"Chat, she's gone!"

* * *

She lead the way in front of him, flinging her yoyo from chimney to chimney with strength Chat Noir was surprised she still had. He followed diligently, eyes scanning for any sign of the villain. Some dark part of his mind reasoned that perhaps this was exactly what Gabriel deserved.  
He brushed away the thought. He was a hero, and everyone deserved salvation and a second chance.

Even pricks like his father.

Ladybug was visibly anxious, and he was certain it was clouding her judgment. Her head rapidly whipped back and forth, hardly paying attention to where her spotted weapon latched onto. Chat was impressed she hadn't slipped.

"There!" she cried suddenly, landing on a nearby rooftop, pointing down in an alleyway. He plopped beside her.

The Seamstress marched obliviously below them, and no pins flew from her hands. She was still on a warpath but she seemed calmer somehow. She'd lost some of her frantic twitching, and simply muttered angrily to herself.

"...she told lies. She made a fool out of me. She told Mr. Agreste. He was just waiting to get rid of me… I'll show her. I'll show him. I'll show him what he missed out on!"

Chat crouched, preparing an attack, only to pause when Ladybug held up her finger. "Wait," she whispered, "We still don't know where her akuma is. This could be our only chance to observe her."

Her partner shook his head. "We don't need to. Isn't it obvious? It's her pincushion."

Ladybug chewed her lip. "I considered that. But we only have one shot at this. How do we know for sure?"

Of course, Chat knew exactly how. No other garments adorning the akuma had been present on her pre-transformation. But that information was pretty much useless if he wanted to keep his identity to himself.

"Trust me on this. Have I ever steered you wrong?"

It was obvious she wanted to trust him, but fear held her in place. "Are you absolutely sure?"  
He tried to stuff as much certainty in his voice as he could, giving her an even stare. "Yes."

She nodded stiffly. "Lucky Charm!"

Chat winced when the akuma looked their way again at her shout, fury returning at full force. A butterfly silhouette hovering in front of her face.

"Ladybug, get down!" his hands found her waist and yanked her off her feet. She roughly landed in his lap, bloodied needles zooming above them. Her summoned pink light glowed brightly above them, before dropping her item into her hand.

Ladybug gaped. "A lawn dart? What am I supposed to do with this?" _Tikki, are you sure we need another flying sharp thing in this mess?_

She turned her head from side to side, taking in all her surroundings.

"Wow," Chat finally muttered behind her. "Your miraculous has a sense of humor. Guess it wants you to fight fire with fire."

Her eyes widened in realisation. _Fight fire with fire!_ "Chat, you're a genius!"

"Of course I am, but thank you for noticing."

The Seamstress screamed below them, clawing her way up to their hiding spot.

"Run!"

* * *

The sun was dipping below the horizon in a beautiful display of colors. And if Chat wasn't currently fleeing for his life, he supposed he might have enjoyed it. He glanced nervously at Ladybug's earrings as she raced beside him.

Three minutes.

Her lucky charm was clutched in a white knuckled grip and her gaze was intense. He allowed himself a bit of relief, she knew what she was doing. Now all he had to do was figure out her lead and follow it.

The Seamstress wasn't far behind, but she had seemed to grow weary of shooting blindly, and only released deliberate shots, which was fortunate for civilians, and not so fortunate for them.

"I only need a second!" Lady panted, swinging from her yoyo to dodge attacks. "I don't even need to be close."

He could tell she didn't want to ask him to be the decoy, but they both knew it was what the situation required.

He gave her a halfhearted wink. "Don't worry. I'll be careful." he pulled his baton from his back, extending it probably longer than necessary and began to twirl it. "Hey, pinhead! Over here!"

As expected, the akuma angrily lunged for him, his heightened reflexes easily keeping him out of harm's way. "Really? You missed again? Guess you're not as sharp as you look!"

Chat glanced over his shoulder, Ladybug was nowhere to be seen.

He continued to dance around the villain, knowing that they had to be down in the two minute range by now. _She's got this. Everything will be fine._

He pointedly decided not to think of the Carrousel du Louvre, just a block away.

She came at him again, eyes looking more bloodshot than ever. Slightly erratically, she raised her hand, and blood splattered on his face. It dripped in his eyes, blinding him. He was knocked off his feet with a grunt. A stiletto stomped roughly on his chest. Chat blinked furiously, trying to get the stinging liquid and tears out of his eyes. He could her her breathing over him. She laughed.

"Bye, bye, little kitty."

He held his breath, waiting for the blow that would end him.

A small part of him looked forward to it.

But it never came.

The akuma let out a bloodcurdling scream, his streaming eyes just managed to make out a familiar spotted dart sticking out from the pincushion. The tip peaked out on the underside of her wrist.

A small black butterfly peacefully flew from the tear in the cloth, only to be snatched up in that godsend of a yoyo.

"No more evil doing for you, little akuma," his lady spoke simply, pulling the dart from its target.

Chat collapsed in relief.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

The Seamstress vanished in a black blur, and Miriam appeared, clutching her wrist, which was now healed.

"How...how did I get here?" she squinted. "Ladybug?"

The heroine nodded tiredly. "Yes. Everything is okay now. You can go home."

The woman rose shakily to her feet. "Thank you." and with that, she silently walked away.

"Someone needs to tell the police what happened," Ladybug sighed. "The media didn't cover the fight because I asked them to stay away. The city needs to know it's safe again."

Chat nodded. "I'll do it. You only have seconds left on your transformation."

She looked visibly relieved. "Thanks, kitty. I'll see you soon."

He winked. "It can't possibly be soon enough."

She grabbed her yoyo, a weak grin crawling on her lips. "Somehow, I think you'll survive."

* * *

Chat slumped against the wall of the police station. He thought he'd never get out of there. The plan was to go in, give them the all clear and leave.

But his bad luck decided to swing in for a visit.

He'd walked right into a swarm of reporters, all trying to be the first to get their hands on the latest akuma story, figuring if they couldn't get live footage of the fight, it was within their rights to have a full live interview.

Plagg eventually came to his rescue in the form of a beeping ring and he dashed out into the street. The sun had long since set, which meant he'd likely missed the opening of the Showcase.

He winced. Fuck.

Hesitantly, he pulled up his baton, popping open the screen. Where was the clock on this thing?

Oh, there it was. Apparently that akuma really took a toll on him, because it couldn't possibly be that late. he had to have read it wrong. He rubbed his eyes.

Oh no.

Oh no no no no no.

His blood ran cold. He wasn't just late.

He'd missed the whole damn thing.


	3. Catch Up to Love

The stinging wind tore mercilessly at his face, stinging and burning the skin below his mask, but it didn't slow him down. He felt sick, some part of him expecting to wake up at any moment. Because this couldn't be real, right? He couldn't have really messed up this badly. But he remained in the nightmarish reality, the pool of dread in his stomach leapt right up into his heart. _Maybe I'm not too late. Maybe the show isn't over yet._

Chat raced from rooftop to rooftop, nearly crying relief when the Louvre appeared on the horizon. _Just a little further. Hang in there, Plagg._ He landed roughly in front of the Carrousel du Louvre and dropped his transformation. He had long since given up on finding a proper apology, no words were going to be able to fix this. He tore up to the doors franticly, absolute terror filling him as he realised they were locked. Nothing was there to greet him but an abandoned flier at his feet. His own face grinned cheerfully back him. He stomped on it with a scream.  
Never in his life had he wished so much that he was someone else.

Never in his life had he wished so much that he could just disappear.

* * *

The thick doors of the mansion slammed shut behind him, seeming far louder than necessary. The noise echoed ominously through the deathly silent house. Adrien grimaced, scanning the room, posture alert.  
A dark figure loomed at the top of the marble staircase, back turned. He felt ice creep up his spine.

"How kind of you to finally make an appearance." The blond clenched his fists, praying that his courage didn't abandon him now.

"F-father?" he decided to pretend his voice was steadier than it actually was.

"I will only ask this once. Where were you?"

Adrien had never been a good liar in the best of times, and if he was being honest, it was the hardest part about being Chat Noir. The overwhelming fear chased every possible excuse from his mind. He swallowed thickly. "I...I can't tell you."

The older man whirled around with barely controlled fury. "What do you mean, you can't tell me? You will tell me this instant, Adrien!"

Adrien watched his last hope for escape drift away. He hung his head in defeat.  
"I'm so sorry."

"You're sorry? I cannot believe your incompetence! You knew how important this evening was. You were the star attraction, and you couldn't be bothered to show up. I am made a mockery. I could not get my own son to perform in my anniversary show. My reputation is ruined!"

Adrien glowered in annoyance despite himself. The _Gabriel_ line would continue on its merry way regardless if he had any part in it or not. "What does it matter?" he heard himself speak. "You said it yourself, it was your show. Why couldn't _you_ save it?" Adrien balked, in shock at the traitorous voice. His hand flew to cover his mouth. Was he trying to get himself killed tonight? _Idiot, idiot, idiot._

"What did you just say to me?"

Rarely had he ever been victim to his father's fury. Disapproval? Sure. Mild irritation? You know it. But pure, unaltered rage? That was reserved for major fuck ups only, and it always had a way of making Adrien want to bury himself in blankets and die a slow death as a burrito.

This was one of those times.

At a loss for words, the blond nervously backed up. "I'm so sorry! I...I didn't mean it, it just came out-"

"Well, obviously it's what you truly believe," the man hissed, slowly making his way down the stairs. "You will respect me, Adrien. I will get through to you. You humiliated me, you showed where your priorities lie. Our legacy means nothing to you."

"Father, please! It wasn't like that!"

Gabriel's icy eyes narrowed. "Enlighten me then. What was it that held you?"

Adrien could have sworn his father's eyes darted towards his ring.

"I...I-"

They stood face to face, and the contempt in Gabriel's eyes was far more terrifying than any akuma Chat had ever faced.

"Tell me now, Adrien." his voice was eerily calm and even, giving nothing away.

Tongue limp and useless in his mouth, he frantically tried to form a response.

"F-ather-,"

It was an odd sensation, Adrien mused, it was sudden, numbing and burning all at the same time. He didn't notice his feet losing their balance, or the cry that left his mouth. Despite his previously frenzied state, he felt placid. He wasn't quite sure how or when he ended up smacking against the cold floor, but he knew it hurt. A spike of bubbling pain shot up from his nose. He slowly squinted up at his seething father, catching sight of the unforgiving hand still raised above him. The pieces clicked together in his foggy mind and he realized what had transpired. Gabriel had struck him. Blood dripped in his mouth and he spat it out instinctively. The deep red splattered on the flawless marble, and Adrien found himself wondering if it would stain.

There was no remorse to be found as his father turned and walked away. But the older man paused at the top of the staircase, and briefly glanced over his shoulder.

"Your mother would be so disappointed in you."  
And just as Gabriel knew it would, the words stung far worse than any other blow he could deal.

* * *

Somewhere in the house, a clock struck two, pulling Adrien out of whatever crying induced sleep he'd managed to fall into. He jerked up into a sitting position, startled. Plagg fell out of his hair with a quiet groan. Bleary, green eyes stared up at his chosen. Adrien wiped away the bloody saliva dribbling down his chin and the memories of the previous evening came rushing back. He was still in the entryway. His face was sticky with dried blood and tears and his nose throbbed painfully.

"Plagg?" he croaked out.

"You ok, kid?" the kwami asked, something akin to compassion briefly flashing in his eyes.

"No," he shook his head with a mirthless laugh. "No, I'm not."

Plagg sighed. "We need to get your nose taken care of. It looks broken."

A hand darted to the swollen appendage of it's own accord, and Adrien instantly regretted it, yanking it away with a hiss of pain. "Damn..."

The cat kwami bit back a laugh at the boy's nasally voice. There would be plenty of time to mock him for it later when the wounds weren't quite so fresh.

"Let's get the first aid kit out of your bathroom. There's an ice pack in there."

"No," Adrien said firmly. "I can't stand to be in this house any longer. Plagg, claws out!"

"Wait!" Plagg yelped, gripping desperately on the boy's shoe. "You really shouldn't transform when you're this upset!"

But it was too late. The ring's call was unyielding and Plagg and his protests were sucked inside. Within moments, Chat Noir was racing through the shadows.

* * *

He hadn't really thought this out, he realized when he landed in front of the school. Where would he even go? Plagg had been right, he definitely needed some patching up, but he had been stupid to think he'd find help out here.

He could go to Nino's, he supposed, but he'd have to go as Adrien and that certainly wouldn't end well. An explanation of some sort would be demanded, frankly he just wasn't up to making a convincing lie. Nino knew his home situation wasn't the best, he didn't want to make his friend worry. Or call the cops. Chat winced. If his life sucked right now, there'd be hell to pay if anything that happened tonight got out. He gave a bitter laugh. _Wouldn't want to soil that reputation further, would we, father?_ No, the mask had to stay on, and no questions could be asked. He needed someone who understood the need for privacy. Of course, his mind instantly flew to his lady. She would be there for him, she would understand.

He knew it was stupid to even hope, but some part of him insisted that it was worth a try. Maybe, just maybe his luck would turn for the better. He pulled out his baton, and dialed her, waiting with held breath. One ring. Two rings. Three rings, and the line went dead with a soft beep. Chat's heart sank. He had known better, but that didn't make it any less disappointing.

His lady was not transformed, and likely asleep as any normal person would be.

Chat stubbornly pawed at his eyes. It was a silly thing to want to cry over, but he felt so very alone. Did he really have no one else? His blurry eyes finally looked up from the ground, hellbent on keeping the tears in. They landed on the familiar bakery, and fond memories of croissants and quiche came to the forefront of his mind.

Marinette was understanding, Marinette didn't pry or ask questions.

He sighed. _Sorry, Mari. Looks like you're all I've got._

* * *

The tapping followed her persistently through the glass house, and no matter where she ran, it only seemed to get louder. Faint green light illuminated the transparent walls around her, making everything merge together. There were pictures on the walls she noted, but try as she might, she could not make sense of the faces. Her eyes were heavy, slowly closing and refused to open up again, but still she ran. She needed to be somewhere, she needed to wake up. The tapping grew louder still.

 _Wake up, Marinette!_ Someone called. _Wake up!_

She slowly felt herself coming back into control, the glass house and its swirling portraits fading away.

_Marinette! Wake up!_

Her eyes loosened, slowly opening. All the remnants of her dream were forgotten, but the tapping and the dim, green light remained.

"Wake up!" Tikki hissed in her ear. "Chat's here!"

Marinette sat up with a start, meeting two green orbs staring down at her from the trapdoor.

A black claw softly tapped at the glass.

Marinette squinted. "Chat?"  
Was that...blood?  
Fear pooling in her stomach, she swiftly kicked her blankets off and jumped to unlock the latch. The door swung open, and Chat suddenly found he couldn't look her in the eye.

"Chat?" she asked again, gasping softly as she got a good look at his face. "What happened?"  
Surely it wasn't an akuma? She would have known, wouldn't she? Please, please tell her this wasn't her fault.

"Hey, Princess," his smile felt fake. "Uh...it's stupid. I just wondered...do you have any ice?"  
The words sounded foolish as they reached his ears. Waking her up at 2:15 for ice? Who the hell does that? He looked away.

"Oh, uh sure." she replied and he jerked his head to her in surprise. "Come on in."

"I can wait here. It's no biggie."

Marinette sighed. "You're coming in here because I'm not not gonna talk out in the cold."

Chat swallowed. "We're...gonna talk?" _fuck fuck fuck._

She stared at him exasperatedly. "You come to my house before the asscrack of dawn with a broken nose. We are most definitely going to talk."

The leather clad hero couldn't help the smirk that crawled across his face. "My goodness, Princess! Language!"

"You're gonna find there's more where that came from if you don't get in here now."

He dropped onto her bed with a quiet grunt, coy grin still in place, despite his pain. "When have I ever been able to deny you anything?"

Marinette nodded in approval, closing the the trapdoor. "Stay here," she commanded. "I'll be right back."

Chat watched her form disappear down the steps from the loft, biting back a chuckle when she tripped on the last step, muttering irritatedly to herself as she slipped out of the room.  
She certainly knew how to be endearing.  
His eyes scanned her room, taking in the details with his heightened sight. It hadn't changed since the last time he was here, but nighttime gave it a certain vulnerability that had not been present before. The darkened loft seemed far more isolated, and staring up at the ceiling made it easy to pretend nothing else existed around it but the moonlight leaking through the window. It was intimate and comforting, two things his own house was sorely lacking. He fell back on her bed with a sigh, head landing on her cat pillow and sending fresh waves of pain through his nose. "Ow," he moaned, arm falling across his eyes. He was so screwed. What was his father going to do? He knew his punishment was far from over, all of his hard earned freedom was as good as gone. Chat smirked bitterly. _Sorry I missed your show, daddyo. I kinda lost track of time while saving the world and, oh almost forgot, stopping a vengeful monster that you helped create!"_

The door below him creaked open softly, Marinette's blue hair peeking through. She crawled up into the room, ice pack clenched in her teeth and her arms were full of bandages, cotton balls and various bottles and tubes. She quickly made her way back up to the bed and unceremoniously dropped her haul, spitting out the blue ice pack with a grimace. "C'mere, Kitty. Let's take a look."

He crawled toward her with a chuckle. "It appears I'm in very capable hands."  
She didn't respond, instead grabbing her phone. The screen came to life, illuminating her features and the dim area around her. She typed rapidly, chewing thoughtfully on her lip. "Well, according to this, if it actually is broken, you'll have to go to a doctor to get it fixed."

Chat mentally slapped himself. Of course he would need actual medical attention. He was stupid to think this would go away on it's own. He scoffed internally. He needn't worry however, his father would be sure to call in the best doctors and plastic surgeons in the country. It's be quite a shame if his number one employee was suddenly unfit for modeling.

"But," the girl continued. "I can help out with the swelling and pain, and then we may be able to see how bad the damage is."

He grinned at her gratefully "Have at it, doc."

Marinette let out a quiet huff of determination. "Right." She bent down and began to dig through the pile of supplies she'd retrieved, sloppily organising them around on her comforter. She selected a damp cloth first, pouring liquid from one of her bottles on sparingly. She awkwardly scooted closer. "Sorry, I uh, I don't know if this is gonna sting or not."

Chat gave her his best attempt at a reassuring smile. "It's fine, Princess. I really appreciate this."  
Slowly, she brought the dark cloth up to his face, and he was immediately assaulted by the sharp stench of alcohol. He recoiled despite himself. She grimaced apologetically, but didn't retreat. It didn't sting he noted, but the smell made his nostrils burn and eyes water. It was probably best to find a distraction.  
Well, he didn't have to look far.

She was much, much closer than he'd originally noticed. Bluebell eyes focused intently on his upper lip, gently scrubbing away dried blood. He neither confirmed or denied if it had made his heart skip a beat. No one would ever be able to doubt the love he had for his lady, but no one in their right mind would deny that Marinette was absolutely lovely either. Porcelain skin, short dark hair and bright blue eyes, Adrien thought it might be time to consider he had a type. He could easily denounce having any feelings for her beyond platonic, but Lord above, she was beautiful, inside and out.

He swallowed. "So, uh, how was your day?"  
Marinette paused, giving him a questioning look. "My day? I feel like that's the least pressing matter right now."  
Chat shrugged lightly. "I'm just making conversation. Humor me."  
She spared him another glance before resuming her task. "It was alright, I suppose. Just a little busy." _if only you knew._  
He hummed. "Oh? Busy how?"  
She threw the bloodied cottonball aside, satisfied with her work. "Just school and helping with the bakery,' she lied somewhat stiffly. "Ya know how it is."  
He snickered. "Actually I wouldn't. I've never worked in a bakery my whole life."  
Chat Noir wasn't certain, but he could've sworn he heard her mutter 'smartass' under her breath.  
He bit back a chuckle. "Here," she commanded, offering the icepack. "Hold this on for a few minutes and see what that does."  
He nodded compliantly, gently holding it to the swollen appendage with a quiet hiss.  
Marinette flopped back on the bed with a sigh, hands folding on her stomach. She closed her eyes. "So, Tomcat, you wanna tell me what happened now?"

Chat shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, no actually. I'd rather not."

"You know I don't judge. If you like fell down the stairs getting a midnight snack or something, I totally get that. I'm the queen of clumsiness."

He laughed, instantly regretting it when his nose throbbed again, tears forming. "No, Mari," humor still laced in his voice. "It wasn't because of anything like that."

She sighed, but seemed to take the hint. "Lucky. I'm such a klutz. I can't do anything without falling on my face. It's ridiculous."

"Oh, c'mon now. I don't believe that. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen you stumble." he decided a little white lie would be appropriate here.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, clearly you haven't seen me around the guy I like. I'm a total mess the minute he walks in the room."  
Chat's ears perked. Mari liked someone? He grinned teasingly.  
"What's this? Has the princess found herself a prince?"  
She shot him a half hearted glare. "I wish. Everytime I try to tell him, I turn into a blubbering mess of goo."

Chat racked his brain. Who on earth did Marinette act like a mess around? She was always so calm and collected when conversing with anyone in their school. Well except him, of course, but he chalked that up to his celebrity status. He shrugged to himself. Maybe she didn't meet him at school. Couldn't hurt to ask.

"Oh, don't withhold details, Princess. Where did you meet this fine fellow?"

She wrung her hands nervously. "Oh, uh…," Chat had seen everyone in her class, multiple times. What if he was able to narrow it down? Oddly enough, she found that she didn't want him to know the truth. "He comes to the bakery sometimes," well, there. That wasn't a total lie. Adrien _had_ come to the bakery several times.

Chat nodded, grin still in place. "And does he know how you feel?"

Her shoulders slumped, and she groaned. "No, I can barely construct a sentence around him, much less confess my undying love."

He chuckled good-naturedly. "Don't sweat it, little lady. You're not the only one unable to profess your feelings."

Marinette sported a grin of her own, relieved to be out of the spot light. "Oh?" she spoke, mocking his previous tone. "And who could the lucky lady be?"  
Chat Noir smirked at her word choice. Quite fitting, actually.  
"She'd probably kill me if I started talking about her. She, uh gets annoyed with me sometimes,"

She rolled her eyes. No surprise there.

"I tried telling her how I felt once, but i-it wasn't the best time. I didn't have the nerve to try again."

The girl tilted her head curiously. "You? The great Chat Noir doesn't have the nerve?"

He laughed, scratching the back of his neck bashfully. "You wouldn't understand unless you met her."

"I'll take your word on that," she replied with a wink. "But I have to say, Chaton, I didn't think any girl would be able to capture the heart of a flirt like you."

"A flirt? Oh, Princess, you misunderstand me! I only flirt with a select few, but I will say I'm rather good at it, wouldn't you?" he gave her a cocky, half lidded stare.

And whatever she did, she certainly didn't blush. That would have been _absurd._ She gulped, rolling her eyes in recovery. "Sure, Kitty. I'll take you seriously when your nose isn't swollen."

He laughed, the stress of the night finally far from his mind. "Fair enough."

She smiled back. "Guess we're both pretty hopeless at love, huh?"

He scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

* * *

The sun was barely peeking across the horizon when he slipped silently back into his room. His nose still hurt, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Adrien had felt better than he had in days.

"You idiot!" Plagg shrieked the moment he was released from the ring. "Do you have any idea what you just did?"

Adrien stepped back, startled. "I-I, uh what? I did something?"

The kwami groaned. "You stupid kid! You transformed on negative emotions!"

Adrien chewed his lip cautiously. "And that's bad because…?"

"Your miraculous feeds off of your feelings, genius! In Ladybug's case, that's a good thing. She has the earrings of good luck and creation, her miraculous is prone to positive emotions, and it won't allow her anger or sadness to corrupt her. Her emotions empower her."

"Wait," Adrien blinked, deciding that he had not had enough sleep to deal with Plagg and his antics. "Corrupt her?"

"Yes, and you're not that lucky. Your miraculous is fueled by negativity. You activate it too much when you get like that, and it will completely scramble your brain. Among other things!"

He swallowed nervously, eyes flicking to his hand. "What do you mean? What exactly will it do? "

Plagg sighed, irritation slowly wearing off. "It's probably best I don't tell you. I don't want you to constantly be afraid to use the ring. You were fine after your whole Christmas tantrum. I didn't say anything then because I didn't wanna ruin the holiday. Just be more careful in the future and you'll be fine, kid."

Remarkably, that wasn't reassuring.

* * *

Adrien stared at his ring curiously. Surely everything was fine? He glanced into the giant mirror above his sink. He looked the same, felt the same. Certainly no damage had been done?

His reflection was that of which it had always been, staring back at him.

He gave the boy in the mirror a tired smile.

The boy in the mirror winked back.


	4. Come Take My Hand

Wearing makeup had always been loathsome. Adrien hated the way his father's professionals caked it on, the way it itched and dried out his skin despite the top-of-the-line moisturizers they applied beforehand. He hated that he couldn't even scratch his face, for fear of smearing it. He knew it was a necessity for modeling, and as humorous as he found it, he really did look like a ghost without it in the camera flash. Adrien supposed his only consolation was that he was not forced to wear it off the clock.

Except for today, of course.

His father had been kind enough to have him summoned far earlier than necessary to briefly meet with a makeup artist to cover up the pronounced bruising on his face. He was lucky, they told him. His nose had not been broken, and once the swelling went down, the pain had mostly gone with it. He was lucky, certainly, but as the brunette man had wordlessly slathered foundation across his cheekbones, he decided he wasn't lucky enough.  
Adrien stayed stiff, watching his father over the artist's shoulder, waiting for any sign of remorse, perhaps a hint of an apology.  
It was a good thing he'd learned to expect nothing but disappointment from the man long ago. Gabriel didn't even flinch.

Natalie quickly ushered him to the waiting limo outside when the artist completed his work, his eyes briefly glancing to the dried red stain in front of the doors as they passed. _How odd_. Adrien thought to himself. _Why didn't father have anyone clean it up?_ They stepped into the car quietly, Natalie's hands were stiffly clasped in her lap.  
Adrien had known the woman to be very reserved, but today the silence was deafening. He internally begged _someone_ to say _something._ But the assistant kept her gaze firmly in front of her, paying him no mind. The gorilla came to a slow stop in front of the school. Adrien reached down to grab his bag with a sigh. _Get that model smile on,_ he ordered himself. _Can't have anyone asking questions._ He pulled the lever on the car door, swinging it open and taking slightly shaky step onto the concrete. He could do this. It was just another day with his friends.  
He grabbed the handle on the door, but Natalie spoke up before he could close it.  
"Adrien?"  
He whipped his head to give her his full attention, hope sparking in his eyes.  
"I-uh...Have a good day at school."  
He smiled, and it didn't feel fake. She gave a weak smile in return.  
It was a small interaction, but it had done him worlds of good.

* * *

All eyes were on him when he opened the door into his classroom. Nino grinned and quickly waved him over to his usual spot. He returned the enthusiastic greeting. With Nino catching him up on everything he'd missed, it would be easy to ignore the whispers that had erupted in the room.  
Everyone had surely heard of his little disappearing act yesterday by now.

He slid into his seat, fist bumping his friend and leaning back to wave at Alya. She cheerfully waved back before focusing on something on her phone, thumbs furiously tapping away.  
He turned his attention to the empty seat beside her. Where was Marinette?

Adrien winced. She was probably exhausted from their late night game of nurse and overslept. She was already sent to the principal's office once a week for tardiness as it was, she didn't need him coming along and making it worse. He made a mental note to formally apologise later that evening. How did she feel about flowers? Maybe a cute stuffed animal?

His train of thought flew off the tracks when the classroom door flew open with a bang. The subject of his thoughts stood panting in the entrance. "I'm here!" she gasped out. "I'm here! I'm not late!"

Mme. Bustier rolled her eyes. "Yes, thank you, Marinette. Please take your seat."

Alya snickered behind him.

Blushing, Marinette quickly made her way to her seat, freezing in place when she met his gaze. Her face lit up. "Adrien! You're back!"

He grinned back at her. "Hey, Mari."

Her face grew red. "He-hey! I am M-I'm Marinette!"  
He laughed gently. "I know."  
Her blue eyes widened in what looked to be utter horror. She ducked her head down and all but dove onto the bench beside Alya with a groan. Adrien let out a small groan of his own. He wished he wasn't a celebrity. Marinette would certainly treat him normal then.

Adrien fought the urge to scratch his makeup coated face while Mme. Bustier rambled on about the wondrous romance of Romeo and Juliet.  
 _Yeah, that totally ended well for all parties involved._ He rolled his eyes.  
He didn't want to hear about love right now. He was beginning to wonder if it even existed at all.  
Clearly it wasn't there to stop his mother from leaving them, his father made it quite clear last night that Adrien was nothing more than an employee, Ladybug did not return his affections, and most sadly of all, the boy who currently claimed Marinette's heart was too foolish to see what was in front of him.

No, he decided. Love wasn't real. At least not in his world.

* * *

The rest of the day dragged on, and Adrien was most definitely ready for it to be over. Nino's constant prying over his discouraged mood had been nothing but draining, even if he did appreciate his friend's support. Chloe, of course was completely unaware of his sour mood. His practiced smiles and responses fooled her all too easily. And for that he was glad. Chloe would lose her damn mind if she found out her dear "Adrikins" was troubled. He really didn't need that today.

The bell rang finally rang like a hallelujah chorus in his ears and he hastily packed his belongings back into his bag, pointedly ignoring Plagg's concerned stare.

He hadn't mentioned the mirror incident to the kwami, but somehow he felt the little god already knew.

But honestly, Adrien wasn't entirely sure if it had actually happened. Certainly, it wasn't out of the ordinary for one to imagine their reflection moving on it's own, especially with his lack of sleep and heavy emotions.

Regardless, the ring felt decidedly different, almost heavy on his finger.

No, he shook his head. He was imagining that too. Nothing had changed. He was fine.

But he still fully planned to avoid any reflective surface for the next few days.

* * *

Pink roses were nice. Hopefully they were appropriate for a thank you/apology gift? Ugh! He actually had no idea. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, messing the locks.  
It had seemed like the right choice when he had bought them (earning a very skeptical glance from Natalie), but now as he stared at them in his room, doubt filled his mind.

"I knew I should have gone with the stuffed cat, Plagg. What if she thinks I'm making a move on her or something?"

"Aren't you?" Plagg asked dully as he floated by.

"No! Of course not! I just wanted to thank her for being such a good friend and helping me out. And to apologise for imposing on her like I did."

"Sure," the kwami replied, unconvinced.

Adrien groaned. "Don't even start. Here, I'll just write a little note and then she won't think anything of it."

He stepped over to his desk, plopping down in the chair. Grabbing a green sticky note and a pen, he quickly scrawled down the message:

_Hey, Mari!_

_Just wanted to thank you FUR being such a team player last night and helping MEOWT. You'll be happy to hear that my nose is not broken and will be all better in a few weeks. I'll try not to drop in with anymore late night emergencies. (I'm actually really sorry about that, by the way…)_

_Hope these brighten your day!_   
_Yours truly,_   
_Chat Noir_

Adrien gave a nod of approval. That sounded right.

Now all he had to do was deliver them.

"Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

Chat gazed at her home from a few houses away. _I'm not even gonna talk to her. I'll just leave them on her balcony. She waters her flowers every morning. She'll find them before they welt._

He grit his teeth in determination. He could do this easy.

He just wished the prospect of not seeing her wasn't so damn disappointing…

Chat silently jumped from rooftop to rooftop, flawlessly landing beside her trapdoor. _Okay,_ he thought as he began walking around, studying. _Where's a safe place to set these? Probably something to cover them, in case it rains. But it's gotta be easy to see…_

"Chat?" a soft voice asked.

The boy in question yelped, whirling back around to face the trapdoor. Marinette peaked up, holding it open with one arm.

He laughed sheepishly. "Yes, it's me. I'm sorry, Princess, I didn't mean to disturb you. I just wanted to leave these." he held up the roses with an embarrassed shrug.

She tilted her head in a way that he shouldn't have found as cute as he did. "What for?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

"A thank you and apology gift." he explained. "I uh, really appreciate what you did for me last night."

"Oh," she replied. "That's not necessary. It was no big deal."

"No, Princess. It was, for me at least. So please, take them."

She nodded. "Okay. Come on in. I'll get a vase."

"Oh! No that's okay-"

But she had already disappeared back inside.

* * *

Marinette had already vanished downstairs when he plopped on her bed, mindful not to squish the flowers.

Chat tapped his fingers on her comforter tensely. He knew he shouldn't be here.

But it felt so right. Was this what home was supposed to feel like?

A soft buzz interrupted his thoughts.

He turned his head towards the sound automatically. Mari's phone blinked with a new text. He didn't know why, but he picked up the phone.

Chat switched on the screen.

_Alya: Gurl, you're hopeless. Just talk to him like he's a regular human being (which he is!). I swear, you need like a practice boyfriend or something to prepare you. Cause if he asked you out now, you'd probably die._

Chat chuckled. So apparently Alya knew all about Marinette's mystery boy. His curiosity ebbed him on, begging him to open up the conversation and figure out who he was.

The hatch into the bedroom opened, and he quickly switched the phone off and tossed it away with a quiet yelp.

"Here, Chat. Bring the roses down. I think this one will work."

Clumsily, he scrambled down the ladder, shame from his snooping crawling up to his cheeks.  
She seemed not to notice his flustered state, leading him over to her dresser, a tall white vase in hand. She took the flowers from him, removing the packaging and cutting off the ends of the stems. They slide into the vase easily, and she arranged them. She smiled at her handy work. "They're perfect, Kitty. Thank you."

Chat rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, no problem."

"Hold on, they still need water. I'll go get my watering can."

Marinette turning back towards the ladder, headed back up to the balcony.

He swallowed, hoping she wasn't observant enough to notice her phone wasn't quite where she left it.

He needn't have worried.

She returned moments later, seeming completely unaware of his guilt.

Carefully, she began to fill the vase with water. "I have to say, Chaton, this is a surprise. Not many boys stop by to give me flowers these days."

"Well, they should," he replied seamlessly. "They should be lined up at the door."

She laughed,setting the watering can down. "I'm glad they don't. I'd have no idea how to respond."

Chat laughed with her. "You responded just fine with me."

She turned to him. "That's because you're you."

He faked an offended look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Stand down, Kitty. I just meant I'm comfortable around you."

His heart swelled. He made her feel safe?

"Really?" he asked, somewhat amazed. "What makes me different?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. You just are."

"So let me get this straight, if i asked you out, you wouldn't freak out?"

"Nope," she laughed. "But I still turn you down."  
Briefly, Alya's text flashed across his mind. _Practice boyfriend._  
Maybe this could be how he could make everything up to her!

"Sure," he started as casually as he could. "But what if I asked you out to, I don't know, just practice?"

"Practice?"

"Yeah, like practice a relationship. You said your crush makes you nervous, so maybe you'd feel better if you had some experience."

She stared at him like he'd grown another set of cat ears.

"What are you talking about?"

"You said you're comfortable with me, so I could be your practice boyfriend. I could teach you. No one would know, and no strings attached. Well, unless you wanted to." he gave a flirtatious wink.

Marinette blinked. "You're crazy, Tomcat," she paused, chewing her lip. "But what about the girl you like?"

He froze. What _about_ Ladybug? "I didn't think about that," he admitted.

Marinette said nothing.

He ran a hand slowly through his hair. "I don't uh-I don't think she'd mind."

"But what about you? Would you be okay with it?"

He paused. "Why wouldn't I be okay with it? It was my idea after all."  
He had to admit that part of himself was tugging at his brain, telling him that this definitely was _a very bad idea,_ but a much larger part shoved him towards it. Chat realised that if he was being honest with himself, he didn't actually know why he felt so inclined.

But no feelings would be involved, Mariette would surely get her prince, he might even learn a thing or two. What could possibly go wrong?

Marinette stared intently at her floor. "Well I-"

"Marinette?" a voiced called below them. "Who are you talking to?"

The girl's face flashed with panic. "Go!" she whispered urgently, eyes darting up to the trapdoor above.

He didn't need to be told twice.

Turning tail, he scampered up the ladder.

"Marinette?" the voice called again.

"Y-yes, mama?"

"Are you on the phone?"

"Um, yeah! I was talking to Alya. We just hung up!"

The conversation faded from his ears as he made his silent getaway. He leapt from her balcony, dashing from rooftop to rooftop, making sure he was well out of sight before he paused to catch his breath.

Then he remembered.

He never got her answer.

* * *

Coming back to the mansion in the dark seemed to make it all the worse. The memories seemed far more potent in the shadows.

 _I don't have to see him._ He reminded himself. _He doesn't even know I went out. I just gotta sneak back into my room._

Oddly, he's own reassurances refused to calm him.

Honestly, he was a little surprised the episode of anger had troubled him so. Normally, he could shake off his father's outbursts without much thought. His only guess was the stress from the miraculous bleeding over but something about it still felt different. Gabriel had been colder, somehow. More sinister.

It left a bitter taste in his mouth that was suspiciously like blood.

The room was thankfully dark when he slipped back in through the purposely open window. A rhythmic blinking from his computer monitors was the only thing to welcome him home.  
Releasing a breath he hadn't known he was holding, Chat dropped his transformation. Plagg flew from his ring in a blur, staring at him oddly. The kwami's gaze lacked much of his usual mirth.

He looked uncharacteristically concerned. "Why'd you do that, kid?"

Adrien looked taken aback. "Do what?"

"Offer to be a "practice" boyfriend."

The boy swallowed. "To be a good friend, of course. I owe her."

"This is some risky business, which normally I'm all for. But this has heartbreak written all over it."

Adrien brushed him off. "Relax, Plagg. I'm not her crush. I made sure of that."

"That's not what I'm worried about."

"You think-you think I like her? Oh, c'mon. You know my heart only belongs to Ladybug."

"That's what you keep saying. But are you absolutely sure? She never really gives you a second glance and Marinette does…"

"Seriously Plagg. There's nothing to be concerned about. I know what I'm doing."

The kwami still looked unconvinced. "I know I can't stop you. Just please be careful." his eyes flickered to the ring. "You really can't afford a broken heart right now."

"I'll be fine. Really." he poked the kwami playfully. "Besides, when did you start caring about anything other than cheese anyway?"

* * *

The firm knock on the door sent startled jolt through his half awake body.

Was it morning already?

"C-come in, Natalie!"

The door swung open slowly, but it wasn't Natalie who entered.  
Gabriel stepped through, glancing at him briefly before making his way to the dark windows. "Good evening, Adrien. I hope I didn't wake you."

Adrien peered at the alarm clock beside his bed. It read 10:32 pm.  
It had only been an hour since he returned from Marinette's.

He swallowed. "Hello, father."

"I won't be long, I just wished to inform you that tomorrow afternoon I will be holding a couple interviews to find new a seamstress. I would like you to be present so you can see what qualities to look for in new employees. It's the least you can do to redeem yourself."

Adrien blinked. "Don't you normally have other people do the interviews?"

"You are correct, but I have found some of those hired have been… less than satisfactory."

_Miriam…_

"All she did was prick me a bit, you know. That was a mistake anyone could make."

Gabriel whirled around. "I think you should educate yourself on a matter before you speak on it. That is not why I fired her."

"But that's what Natalie told me?"

"That's because that is what I listed on the record, and that girl should thank me for it. I did her a favor."

Adrien gripped his bedsheets, suddenly feeling far more uncomfortable than he did a moment ago.

"What...what did she do?"

His father turned back to the window. "It had been brought to my attention that Ms. Dumont harbored inappropriate feelings for me."

Adrien balked. That was the terrible crime she had committed? A simple crush?

"You fired her because she liked you? Seems a little harsh."

"Don't speak on things you don't understand, Adrien. It would seem the feelings were quite intense. It would distract her. There is no room for love in a professional setting. She needed to know that."  
 _Seems like there's no room for love with you at all._


	5. Run Through Playland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oops! Wrong chapter. Thanks NoodleFerrets for letting me know! <3

 

* * *

 

That damn alley cat.

She was going to kill him, she decided. Slowly and painfully, because there was no way he hadn't snooped through her phone. And when she was done with him, she was going to kill Alya for suggesting such a ridiculous idea in the first place. Granted, the girl had likely been joking, but the damage had been done. Marinette slung an arm across her eyes. She had thought Chat's offer for a "practice" relationship had been odd, and somewhat random to say the least, but she had written it off as his normal weirdness and tried to forget. But after his departure, she crawled back on her bed to finish the texting conversation she had been having when noises from the roof had distracted her. Her phone was halfway across the bed from where she had left it, and the text blinking across the screen made her stomach do a backflip. She thought it fitting to say a quick prayer to thank whatever god who was listening that she had listened to Alya and put a lock on her phone. Because as embarrassing the displayed text was, the rest of the conversation thread was quite frankly, a hundred times worse. Loaded with nothing but her woes with Adrien and advice about said woes from Alya, Marinette would have voluntarily buried herself alive from humiliation if Chat had read it.

_Practice boyfriend practice boyfriend practice boyfriend…_

The words danced around in her head, and even though she didn't want to admit it to anyone, the offer sounded alluring. She knew it would be terrible to take advantage of Chat like that, especially since her gut told her that the chances of Ladybug being his secret crush were fairly high, but anything that promised even the tiniest of chances with Adrien was hard to overlook. _It was his idea,_ the enamoured teenage girl side of her whispered. _Just make sure you don't give him any hope as Ladybug. After all, as far as he knows, you're two different people. It wouldn't be your fault if Ladybug doesn't like him. And who's to say he's in love with Ladybug anyway? It could be anyone._

"No," she mumbled to herself. "Bad Marinette."

Tikki flew over quietly and landed on her chest. "Are you still thinking about it?" she asked gently.

"No," she shook her head. "No, of course not. We decided I'd tell him no if he brings it up again. It's not a good idea."

The kwami looked skeptical. "Yes, I know that's what _we_ decided, but is that what _you_ decided?"

"Of course it is. It would be unfair of me to take advantage over him like that…" she trailed off. "But it sure would be something if it could help me get closer to Adrien..."she trailed off.

Tikki smacked a paw to her face.

Marinette laughed sheepishly. "Right, right. Not gonna think about it anymore. The answer is no."

* * *

It was unsettling, Adrien decided.

It had him on edge and watching over his shoulder almost constantly. Why hadn't his father punished him? Of course, Gabriel had insisted that his attendance at various company events were slowly paying off his debt, but Adrien remained unconvinced. He'd had all of his freedom snatched away for far lesser crimes in the past. Missing that showcase was the equivalent to murder in the Agreste household. But so far, it would seem he got off scot-free. His hand subconsciously rose to his still tender nose. He flinched. Well, relatively scot-free. He stared at his ceiling in silence, waiting for his alarm to go off. He'd been sleeping less and less as the nights went on, paranoia and anxiety slowly chewing away at his brain.

Adrien curled his fingers in a fist on his chest, trying to ignore the icy cold ring digging slightly into his skin. Something was definitely different about it. He had been certain that it had only been his frightened imagination at first, just his mind playing mean tricks.

But then he realised he was unable to remove it from his finger.

The silver band stayed firmly in place no matter how hard he tugged or twisted. It had a funny little way of making his insides turn to ice.

He had chosen not to tell Plagg. Somehow, the thought of saying it out loud made it seem a little too real. And reality was giving him enough fits as it was. He rolled over on his side.

At least what he thought reality was, anyway. He finally admitted to himself that his interpretation on what was real and what wasn't might be flawed.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Adrien reached over to shut off the clock with a sigh. Time to get the day started. He gently poked the kwami sleeping on the pillow beside him.

"C'mon, sleepy head. You better not make me late again."

Plagg groaned, refusing to open his eyes. "Blame your dad. He's the one who keeps us up so late every night with those stupid dinners."

"Oh shush. You weren't complaining when I snuck you that cheese."

* * *

Adrien tapped his foot inpatiently under the the desk. Normally, he had no issues when a teacher went a little long with their lecture. In fact, he often found helpful tidbits in those few extra words. But not today. He was restless, his mind was unable to focus on anything but praying for the bell to ring. He reached into his bag, gently scooting a sleeping Plagg off his phone screen. He switched on the device, checking the time.

Two more minutes.

He could do two more minutes easy. That wasn't so bad.

If only two minutes didn't feel like two decades. He sighed, resting his chin in his hand. Would this day never end?

A sigh matching his own rose up from behind him. Adrien turned his head discreetly, an equally glum Marinette stared blankly at the front of the room. Her fingers tapped absently on her desk, mind clearly somewhere else. It left him to wonder, what was she thinking about? She had yet to notice him staring at her, far too deeply engrossed in her own thoughts.

Adrien tried not get his hopes up, but some small part of his mind insisted that she was considering his- well, _Chat Noir's-_ deal. She had been more reserved he noticed, since the night he'd proposed it, even with Alya. She acted as if something was eating at her. Finally, the bell sounded off with a clanging flourish, and he hastily packed his belongings. Marinette darted by him, making a beeline to the door. And in that moment, Adrien made up his mind. Something was up with her, and regardless of what it was, he was going to find out.

Tonight.

* * *

Marinette sighed. She'd managed to mess up that damn hemline twice tonight. What was wrong with her?

Well, that was a stupid question. She knew exactly what was getting to her. Chat's offer had stuck itself deep in her head, and she couldn't shake it loose no matter how hard she tried. It was wrong. She knew it was. Chat, though experienced with flirting, did not seem to truly understand matters of the heart. Unlike her, he had no clue what he was getting himself into. While she was convened it was impossible for her to fall for anyone besides Adrien, she couldn't be sure it would be the same for the black cat.

After all, misfortune was his patronus.

Frustrated, Marinette tried to focus on the task at hand, finishing the dress for Alya's party. Chat had probably forgotten about it anyway, knowing him. She hoped.

A gentle tap sounded from her trap door.

 _Well, speak of the devil…_ Sighing, she rose from her seat and climbed up to her bed. _Tell him no, tell him no, tell him no…_ She flipped open the door and climbed onto the balcony. Sure enough, he stood before her. His expression was that of nervous concern.

"Hi," she said simply.

He cleared his throat. "Hey."

For a few suffocatingly awkward moments, neither said anything.

Finally, Marinette licked her lips and broke the silence. "Did you need something, Chat?"

"Wha- me? No, I just wanted to check on you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Check on me?"

Chat Noir kicked himself. How the hell was this not creepy? He couldn't very well say that she had seemed down at school and this was just a friendly check in. He grimaced. "Yes?"

She crossed her arms. "Well, as you can see, I'm doing just fine."

"Yep, I do see that."

"Anything else, Chaton?" He chewed his lip anxiously, eyes studying her skeptical form. _Oh fuck it._ "Yeah, actually. I uh, was wondering if you'd given any thought to our… previous conversation?"

She sighed. Yep, there it was. "Yes, I have. And listen, I just don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"It's just not! What if feelings get involved? One or both of us could get hurt."

"They won't, not if we're careful. It wouldn't actually be a real relationship."

Marinette wished he would stop pushing her. She was already _so_ tempted to say yes, and learn the secrets to win Adrien's heart, and playing Tikki's words over in her mind was not helping her strenghten her resolve as much as she'd like. "Chat, please. My answer is no. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to work on my dress."

She turned back towards the trap door.

He was going to let it go, he really was.

But he still found himself reaching out to grab her arm and pull her back. "Mari, wait! Here, let's make a deal. I take you on one trial date right now, absolutely no strings attached, and if you still decide you don't like it, we'll never speak of it again."

Marinette blinked. A free lesson? Surely, no feelings could develop in one outing? It seemed harmless enough...

"And in return, regardless if you say yes or no, I'll help you finish your dress."

"Wait, help _me?_ "

"Yes. I'm not an expert, but I do know a thing or two about fashion. I could pick up supplies for you, give a second opinion, help you thread needles... the possibilities are endless. So," he held out his hand. "Do we have a deal?"

Marinette felt what was left of her resolve crumble, the little Tikki living in her mind shook her head in annoyance. He was going to be the death of her. _Sorry, Tikki._ "Fine," she took his hand and shook it firmly. "One date."

* * *

As Chat had instructed her before they shot off into the night, Marinette kept her eyes squeezed shut. She clung tightly to his shoulders, her other senses being heightened by the absence of her sight. She listened intently to the peaceful sounds of a slumbering world, smelled the leather of Chat's suit, and felt the crisp breeze gently kiss her face as they sped by. He ran and leaped for what felt like hours.

But then everything came to a screeching halt, the atmosphere shifted ever so slightly. Chat stopped running.

He let her slide from his back, gently grabbing her arm to lead her forward. "You may open your eyes." She did.

Marinette could honestly say that she had no expectations for what tonight would bring, she was still trying to believe that she had let it happen. But this was something beyond anything her wayward mind come conjure up.

And it was nothing but a run down, forgotten carnival.

Or at least, what was left of it. Only a handful of colorful tents still stood, the booths had lost their paint and looked well weathered. Even the few rides she could see looked as if they could crumble at a moment's notice. But despite the deadness she saw all around her, it still felt eerily alive.

"Chat?" she spoke, her voice almost seeming to have an echo. "Where have you brought me?"

Chat began walking down the dirt path before them, she trotted to catch up. "During World War II, there was this girl that got sent to America to live with an aunt for safety. Elodie Andre, I believe her name was. Her parents were killed in the bombing of Villers-Bocage, and she ended up spending the rest of her childhood in the states, and didn't return when the war ended. For the most part, she hated living there, ya know? It was _so_ different. But the one thing she was always fascinated with were the traveling carnivals her aunt and uncle would take her to in the summer," Chat gestured widely, getting lost in his story. "She eventually began to work at them during her teen years, and she did like, crazy well. The fairs that always came to her town remembered her and always had place for her. When she graduated high school, she permanently joined one she was particularly fond of, working her way up the ladder until she inherited ownership of it. In the late 1960's, came back home to France. So she brought her carnival with her and set it up here," he waved a hand at the area around them, before a sad look crossed over his face. "But it, uh, it didn't take too well here. Not many people liked the completely American style of doing things, ya know? It was too "extreme". Elodie didn't give up right away, but eventually she ran out of money and was forced to close up shop. She abandoned this place and moved back to America, where she died in 1993."

Marinette walked slowly beside him, staring thoughtfully a at the ground. "What a sad story."

Chat nodded. "It is. She still had a niece who lived here, and she left this property to her when she died. Since then, it's been forgotten about, even though the family still owns it."

Marinette yelped. "So we're trespassing?"

He laughed. "Nah, we're enjoying it, which is what I think Elodie would have wanted."

She rolled her eyes. "How do you know all this trivia anyway?"

"This place is kinda rumored about, ya know? 'Cause of its creepy vibe I guess."

Marinette took another glance around the place. Yeah, she was getting the vibe.

"Some people back in America call it the Carnival of Broken Dreams. Like no joke, they have entire blogs and websites dedicated to it. I got curious so I researched it. Turns out, it was real and had a cool background story so I wanted to see it."

"So, you're like a history buff or something?"

He winked. "Something like that. Now c'mon, Princess, let's get to it."

"Get to what?"

He grabbed her hand, pulling her along. "Exploring of course!"

* * *

There was something almost supernatural about this place, Marinette decided almost immediately. Reality seemed almost...altered.

It was easy to forget that there was a world outside the antique rides and abandoned booths. She was almost convinced she'd been here since the day she was born. The more she explored, the more it felt like a memory, like somewhere she'd been before.

Something was oddly familiar about the way the rides creaked in the wind, sounding almost as if they spoke to her.

She shivered.

"You getting cold?" Chat asked in concern as he walked beside her.

Marinette smiled up at him weakly. "A little." "Not to worry, Princess. We'll go inside for a moment."

"Go inside where?" Chat glanced around, night vision zeroing in on one of the least tattered tents.

"There. I think it's a funhouse or something." Marinette followed his lead without complaint, slightly endeared by the look of awe that had not left his face since they'd arrived.

* * *

Chat had certainly done his homework on this place, but nothing could prepare for the real thing. No rumor could really do the place justice. It was the kind of place you go just before you fall asleep. Just barely there in the back of your mind, but capturing your attention all the same.

He could see it in his mind's eye, this place in it's former glory, the bright lights, the music, the chatter. It all seemed so tangible, as if it could burst to life at any given moment.

But it remained dormant, and he was left alone with only his imagination.

He gently pulled Marinette along toward the funhouse, kicking himself for not bringing some blankets or extra clothes.

"After you," he instructed, holding the tattered flap of tent open for her. She nodded in thanks, scurrying in and he swiftly followed. To both of their disappointment, it wasn't much warmer inside that it was outside, but they were out of the wind and that was better than nothing.

Suddenly, Marinette let out a startled cry.

He dashed to her side, alarmed. "Mari? What is it?"

"I thought I saw something move over there."

Following her pointed finger, Chat turned his gaze, green eyes easily piercing through the dark. His hand reached for his baton. Sure enough, there was movement. Chat gave a relieved chuckled giving it a cheery wave, much to Mariette's confusion.

"Kitty? What is it?"

"Well, it is a funhouse. Here, gimme your phone." She quickly obliged, and he switched on the flashlight, walking towards their mystery object. The bright light bounced back at them, and Marinette gave a sigh of relief. "It's just a mirror." she noted. Chat nodded, inspecting the old, distorted glass. "Indeed it is." She laughed quietly. "I screamed at my own reflection."

He laughed with her. "Well, you are pretty scary, but in your defense, it is a fun mirror, and it really doesn't look anything like you. I mean, c'mon you're not nearly that tall."

"Hey!"

He laughed again, staring at his own reflection curiously. Despite being in a funhouse, there really wasn't anything fun about it. It was broken and shattered at the top as if someone had thrown a rock at it, the crack branching and webbing throughout the rest of the mirror. They spidered across his reflection's face, distorting it in a way far different than its original purpose. He swallowed. Something told him he shouldn't be here, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. His reflection was dark, mostly a silhouette outlined by the flashlight. But his face was illuminated just well enough to make out. He stepped back with a shuddering gasp.

Were those _fangs?_ "

Chat Noir? Is everything okay?" her voice began to fade into the distance.

Suddenly, breathing felt almost impossible. His brain spun at the speed of light, while he desperately tried to keep up. The image in the mirror glued itself to the forefront of his mind, stirring up the whole mess of fear a little faster. Why couldn't he breathe?

He blindly handed her phone back, trying to calm his breathing. _Stay in control,_ something warned him above his alarm. _It will make it worse if you panic._ I

nhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.

Mari's hand gently rubbed soothing circles on his shoulder, saying words he couldn't understand. His face and hands began to tingle. What was happening to him?

"Can we get out of here?' he finally gasped out. She nodded wordlessly, entwining their fingers and leading him back out into the night. Instantly, his panic dissolved. Marinette moved them over to a rickety bench that creaked in protest when they sat down. She didn't let go of his hand.

"Are you okay, Chaton? What happened in there?"

He laughed uneasily. "I'm not really sure."

She chewed her lips thoughtfully. "Have you...have you ever had anxiety attacks before?"

Chat shook his head. "No."

"Well, that's uh, kinda what it looked like to me." "Oh." "That's nothing to be embarrassed about or anything!" she quickly added. "I've had them before."

"Sorry I kinda ruined the night."

"What? No, of course you didn't! There's nothing to apologise for. But do you know what triggered it? It may be something you need to talk to someone about, and I'd be happy to listen."

"No." he almost snapped. " I don't want to talk about it."

She looked taken aback at his sudden harshness. "Oh okay. That's fine."

They sat in silence for a few moments. Finally, Marinette stood up. "Well, c'mon, Alleycat. The night's still young and there's a carousel over there I wanna check out."

* * *

Chat followed a few steps behind her, trying to process what just happened. A panic attack? Was that what Plagg meant when he said the miraculous would mess with his head?

He swallowed, glancing down at his ring. It gleamed almost maliciously in the gibbous moon light. Something told him that this was only the beginning.

Marinette gave a gasp of delight beside him, drawing his attention away from his fears. "It's so beautiful!" she exclaimed, racing the rest of the way to the decorative horses. And he had to admit, she was right. It was absolutely stunning. Though the paint on the horses and murals was chipped and faded, it did nothing to diminish the detailed beauty of it. With a childish laugh, Marinette scampered up the steps, running around until she selected a horse. She jumped into the saddle, grinning invitingly down at him. He found himself returning it weakly, climbing slowly up the steps and mounting the dapple gray horse beside hers.

When was the last time he'd even been on a carousel?

She rested her hands between the horse's ears, placing her chin on top of them. She let out a sigh. "It's heartbreaking that this place didn't make it. Just think, the last time anyone sat on these horses was when it still played music and spun." Chat nodded thoughtfully. Somehow, that hadn't occurred to him.

She jumped off her horse, slowly walking around, studying each forgotten figure with saddened eyes. She walked toward the center, running a hand along the thick, mirror-lined collum. The old wood groaned and creaked with every step she took. Finally, she came back around the circle, where he sat. She grinned.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Chaton."

He smiled warmly back. "It was my pleasure, Princess."

They fell into companionable silence as Marinette came to sit beside him.

Once again, his thoughts wandered, but this time to a more pleasant place. He saw long, blonde hair, a kind smile and a mellifluous voice. She had taken him to places like this in a not so distant past. Back when his world had been bright and dreams had seemed closer to reality. He missed those day where stories of knights and dragons lulled him to sleep and everything felt warmer all because of her smile. She always had a way of making everything beautiful, even things that seemed full of darkness and cold.

He could really use some of her light right now.

"My mom used to take me to carnivals when I was a kid." he began absently. "Not often of course, dad always thought they were for the "riff raff" only. But I always thought they were fun, ya know? I miss that."

His companion hummed. "So I gather that your dad is a bit of a hardass, huh?"

Chat laughed. "You could say that."

"Your mom sounds cool though."

His smile grew distant. "She is. Or was anyway."

Marinette swallowed. "Was?"

"Yeah, she was."

"I'm sorry." she offered sadly. "You must miss her."

"Every single day."

Marinette reached between them, gently entwining their fingers again. She said nothing.

"But hey," Chat shrugged. "At I'm not alone anymore."

She smiled back, before giving his hand a squeeze and releasing it. The saddness that lingered in the air grew heavy.

Marinette wouldn't stand for that.

"Oh my gosh," she excalimed. "I can't believe you!"

Chat jumped and stared at her like a deer in the headlights, looking completely clueless. "What? What did I do?"

"More like what you didn't do! I've been here with you all night and you have yet to give me any boyfriend lessons!"

Chat gave a sigh of relief when he saw the teasing smile peeking from the corner of her mouth.

_She wants to play, huh?_

He dismounted his carousel horse and walked tauntingly to stand beside her. She turned in the saddle to face him, coyly staring him down.

He leaned in, smirking."My apologies, we were having such a good time, I forgot to be fake."

She took in a breath expectantly.

He pulled away abruptly, thoughtfully tapping his chin. "Now where to begin? What can I possibly teach _Marinette Dupain Cheng_ about charming a man that she hasn't already mastered?" He gently reached to cup her face, lightly caressing her cheek with the pad of his thumb. Her surprised expression began to relax. "Why, she already has the ocean in her eyes! What else could a man even want? And these adorable freckles? Why, they're _to die for._ And those are just on the surface," he leaned in again, breath tickling her temple. Her eyes fluttered closed, cheeks flushing. "She's also selfless, brave," he moved lower down the side of her face, lightly grazing his lips across her cheek, but never becoming daring enough to leave a kiss. "Kind, responsible, extremely talented," he was at her jaw now, his voice lowered to a husky mutter. "Determined, creative," his lips brushed against her neck. "Why, the list just goes on and on."

"C-hat," she gasped softly. He slowly rose back to eye level, a sultry smile in place. He found her half-lidded eyes a little _too_ satisfying.

He leaned in once more, lips hovering above her ear. "Lesson one," he announced softly. "Get them breathless."

Her eyes flew back to full alertness. "Wait. _That_ was the lesson?"

He smirked smugly. "It was effective, _non?"_

She uh, she couldn't argue with him on that one."

"And trust me, Princess, there's plenty more where that came from." If Chat was being honest with himself (which he wasn't), he hadn't _entirely_ been sure that would work. After all, this whole arrangement was to be a learning experience for both of them. Marinette said nothing, and simply stared with a gobstopped look.

"Well, what do you say? Care for another "lesson"?"

For a moment, she almost looked as if she might say yes. "

Actually," she spoke as she retrieved her phone from her purse. "It's getting pretty late. I should probably get home." He whipped out his baton, flipping up the screen. Sure enough, 12:23 a.m.

"Of course," he started, trying to sound casual. "But before I take you home, do you have your answer?"

"My answer?" she questioned with a puzzled expression.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "To our, uh deal?"

"Oh," she said blankly. "Right."

Chat couldn't quite explain why his heart seemed to sink at her dismal reply. Why did this matter so much to him?

Meanwhile, Marinette looked nothing short of conflicted. It gave him a bit of hope however, because _some part_ of her, no matter how big or for what reason, wanted to say yes. She glanced at him warily.

"No strings attached, correct? For educational purposes only?"

He nodded quickly. "Yes, that's correct."

She drug a hand across her face. "Fine," she kept her eyes closed, and held out her hand to shake. "Don't make me regret this."

Grinning broadly, he took her offered hand, and brought it to his lips. Her eyes snapped open. "I won't," he purred, kissing her knuckle. "Cat's honor."


	6. Already Bought a Ticket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a bonus update to make up for that confusion!

Chat hummed cheerfully to himself as he leap from rooftop to rooftop. So far, the day was off to a lovely start. His father had remarkably given him the weekend off, and he fully intended to use his rare free time to make good on his deal to Marinette. Alya's party drew closer, and even if she didn't admit it, Chat could tell the young seamstress was starting to feel the pressure of the looming deadline. Well, that what he's here for. He perched on lamp post, unzipping his pocket and squinting slightly at the hastily scrawled list she had handed him. Most of the items were easy, red and black thread ( two spools black, three red), black ribbon (one and a half yards), which he knew exactly where to find, but her last request left him baffled. Two yards of black lace. _La Petite Chemise doesn't carry it,_ she had written. _So you'll have to go to Boutique Noir._

He didn't need to go all the way across town for that. His father had a favorite fabric store that he went to for experimenting just a few blocks away. The older man may have most of his materials imported and designs copied and recreated by others, but he always believed in giving the prototypes a personal, hand-stitched feel. The shop was lacking nothing, and only carried the very best quality. Perhaps Marinette hadn't heard of it? It's target audience was for designers in the elite category, so he supposed it was normal to assume she didn't run in the same crowd. Silently, he dropped behind the store and released his transformation. It was time to go shopping.

* * *

Adrien stepped onto the white marble floor, carefully letting the glass door swing shut behind him. One of the sales ladies looked up from her current client to greet the new customer. Her face lit up with recognition and she smiled broadly, though it felt slightly fake to Adrien."Oh, Monsieur Agreste! Bienvenue! I'll be right with you."

"No need," Adrien responded with a half smile, half grimace as all the heads in the shop whipped around at the sound of his name. "I know exactly what I need."

The woman smiled brightly again. "Very well, sir. Let us know if you require any assistance."

Adrien nodded in thanks before setting to work. Where was the lace? He saw some white lace in the back with flawless silk and satin, a section of the store Adrien knew was aimed towards wedding ensembles, and several sample dresses were displayed around it to trigger inspiration. They had shelves stacked to the ceiling with neatly folded charmeuse silk in every color you could imagine, and some you couldn't. There was rich velvet, vicuna and even wool and furs. He had been here many times with his father, but was usually bored out of his mind and didn't really pay much attention the the scenery. It was something to behold, he had to admit, and also bloody irritating. How was anyone supposed find anything in this jungle of couture? _Lace, lace, lace,_ he hummed to himself. He had seen other colors in categorized sections of the store, like the wedding one, but he had yet to find any black.

"Are you finding everything alright?" an annoyingly squeaky voice spoke from behind.

He yelped in surprise, so deep in thought he had not heard her approach. He whirled around, coming face to face with another sales girl. She smiled with that same fake _you better fucking buy something because I want to keep my job_ smile. "Um, yea I actually could use some help with something." he spoke, recovering from his start.

Her too-much-lipstick smile widened. "Of course, sir! How may I assist you today?"

He pulled out the list from Mari. "I'm looking for some black lace, do you carry it here?"

"We certainly do! It's one of our sectional items. Come with me."

Adrien sighed in relief. "Thank you!"

He followed her deeper into the store, taking a moment to appreciate the elaborate outfits displayed all around him as he walked.

"Here we are, sir!"

Adrien's relieved smiled contorted on itself in horror.

"You'll find just what you're looking for in lingerie! We have black lace in all materials and patterns. Shall I help you choose some?"

Adrien blinked around him in terror. The fabrics in this section were all light and sheer, and the displays made him choke. His eyes instantly flew to a black, lace ensemble that left very little to the imagination. It hardly covered anything, and the bright green embroidery gleaming across it reminded him a bit too much of...himself. As his eyes traveled down, all the blood in his body followed suit. Across a rather personal area, green letters had been stitched. _Chat Noir's_ it read, followed by a cheeky little paw print. It was daring, it was sexy, and he really, _really_ shouldn't have imagined Marinette in it.

"Do you like that, sir?" The girl spoke, noticing his fixation. "It's one of the newest designs we've come up with. Many ladies are quite a fan, and it adds to the fantasy."

Adrien still hadn't found his voice.

"Margot! What are you doing with Monsieur Agreste?" the sales lady from earlier asked in somewhat of a breathy panic, making a beeline for them.

"Oh, him? I was helping him find some lace, and he seems to fancy this particular getup."

The lady looked like she was about to faint, her smile very strained. She spoke through her teeth. "Margot, I highly doubt that was the kind of lace he was looking for."

She sent Adrien a nervous look. Adrien awkwardly looked away, trying to hide an unwelcome visitor, which was still making an appearance, despite the humiliation.

"It's fine," he finally croaked. "Any black lace is good, I think."

She pinched her nose. "Margot, how about you help Louis at the counter? I'll finish off here."

Margot shrugged and turned back towards the front of the store. "Doesn't matter to me."

The sales lady sighed. "I am so sorry for any embarrassment, sir. She's, uh, she's new. Now, what was it you needed?"

Hastily, Adrien grabbed the first folded swatch of lace he could reach, trying to cover his crotch. "I'll take two yards of this."

"Of course, sir, and it will be half price to show our apologies. Will there be anything else?"

"Um, yea," he handed her the list. He wasn't really up to making anymore stops. "All of that. And, uh," he pointed sheepishly at the Chat Noir display. "Is that for sale?"

* * *

Chat had to say he was grateful for the sheer tightness of his suit. It did a marvelous job of concealing the evidence from the incident at the shop. However, he still felt it might be wise to go home a take care of things before returning to Marinette. Going back to her in this condition seemed… wrong. Not to mention disrespectful, even if she couldn't see. He would know and was just not something he was willing to do. Only stopping at one place had left him plenty of time. Marinette would never need to know. His trip home lacked the merit of his usual jaunts through town, but it still did not escape a pair of angry, gray eyes.

"That stupid cat," Felix hissed to himself. "Nothing more than a perfect example of abused power."

* * *

Chat still hadn't shaken off the shame by the time he set off for Mari's again. She was his _friend_ for fuck's sake. How could he think about her like that? And then he'd gone and bought the blasted thing. He told himself it was to prevent Chat Noir from becoming some girl's "fantasy", but he knew that wasn't entirely true. Plagg had a field day at the boy's expense, knowing full well what had gone through his head. Chat could still feel him snickering in the ring. Rolling his eyes, he glanced up towards the sky, praying for something to get the whole situation off his brain.

In hindsight, he realised he really should have been more careful what he wished for.

He'd heard the whizzing, but he had no time to react. The flying object collided with his head and sent him tumbling of the roof and to the waiting street below. He cried out, wincing in pain and managing to grab onto the ledge with his claws, saving himself from the fall. Adrenaline coursing, he swiveled his head around frantically, trying to see his attacker, or what had hit him. He heard a low chuckle to his right, and yanked his head towards the noise. It definitely wasn't a nice chuckle he decided. It was cold and cruel and somehow familiar. Peeking out from the shadow of a chimney were two, almost glowing purple eyes. He swallowed hard, trying to pull himself up. The eyes stood up slowly, and as Chat Noir had feared, they were connected to a body. Two white booted feet stepped towards him, with a sickening swagger. They stopped. The akuma bent down, picking up a gold staff. He gasped, finally seeing exactly who this stranger was. _No. Please no._ His shock caused his hold to slip and he fell back to the edge, his claws scraping the shingles. He took in the akuma standing before him, his throat becoming tight.

"You're...you're…" his voice failed him.

The akuma stepped towards him, smirking as he roughly grasped his wrist and yanked him up to eye level. He wanted to see Chat's fear. He wanted to revel in it. He chuckled again.

"That's right, little one. I'm Chat Blanc."

* * *

"Where is he, Tikki?" Marinette thumped her fingers impatiently on her desk. "He's been gone for over an hour."

"Well, you did send him halfway across town," the kwami replied helpfully. "And maybe the lines are long."

"I suppose," the girl agreed. "But he's Chat Noir. I've seen him go across all of Paris in less than twenty minutes."

"Maybe he got distracted?"

Marinette huffed. "Knowing him, probably."

* * *

And distracted he was.

Chat Blanc picked him up once more, tattered and torn, and flung him to the ground. He hissed in pain, but wouldn't give his opponent anymore satisfaction. He forced himself to swallow the blood in his mouth, refusing to spit it out where it could be seen. The white cat jumped down and joined him in the otherwise vacant alley.. Chat Noir glared, rising to his feet with narrowing eyes and blood stained fangs bared.

Chat Blanc simply smiled in a feux pleasantry. "You know, even though I've always hated you, I have to admit, I'm a little starstruck to meet you in person."

Chat Noir only growled in response. His tail flicked dangerously on it's own.

"But don't get the wrong idea, kitty cat. I know you. I know what you are."

The two began to circle each other.

"You know nothing." Looking back, Chat realized he didn't recognize the voice that came out of his mouth.

"Wanna bet?" he lunged towards Chat's neck with a yowl, but the black cat was ready and dove out of danger, his teeth snagging then biting deep into the other cat's shoulder. He pulled back savagely, leaving a gaping wound to drip crimson down the flawless, white suit. "You bastard!" Chat Blanc snarled, swiping at his face with razor sharp claws. Blood instantly bubbled up and began to drip down his cheek like distorted tears. Chat bit back a scream, going in for another hit. "I only wish I was."

But Chat Blanc was a quick learner it seemed, and he wasn't about to fall for the same trick twice. He grabbed Chat Noir by the neck as he lundged and slammed the back of his head to the brick wall behind him. Chat's vision went dark, and he collapsed to the ground, Chat Blanc standing over him, a terrifying gleam in his violet eyes. Chat Noir struggled to refocus his vision. "You're not the hero you think you are." he spoke, giving him a gruelling kick in the stomach. Chat Noir wheezed, coughing up blood. "You have the power to destroy anything you touch, and yet you use it so carelessly. You have never once taken it seriously, bringing ruin to anything that suits you." he kicked him again.

"But Ladybug's...magic," he coughed out, crying out when it earned him another kick.

"Yes. Her magic does restore what you destroy. But the first time you used your cataclysm, you didn't know that it would. _You were willing to use your cataclysm on an akuma victim!"_

Beyond angry, he scooped Chat's limp body, ruthlessly sinking in his claws, and threw him into the wall on the other side.

Chat Noir was somewhat delirious now, high on chemicals his brain was releasing in a desperate attempt to save him. Chat Blanc sounded far away. _All you do is kill and destroy!_ His voice echoed from somewhere. _Some adrenaline junkie like you should never have been given such power! It should have been given to me!_  
Chat Blanc charged towards him again, but he couldn't make his body react. _All I do is kill and destroy,_ his own voice chanted in his head. _Kill and destroy, kill and destroy, kill and destroy._  
He glanced down at his ring, and then to the gold one on Chat Blanc's finger. _Kill and destroy, kill and destroy, kill and destroy..._

Chat Blanc leapt.

The ring tightened around his finger.

"Cataclysm."

* * *

Marinette had fallen asleep on her keyboard, the boredom of waiting on Chat had eventually won over. Tikki giggled at the impressive string of drool that hung from her mouth.

The kwami turned her attention back towards Marinette's computer, where she had been entertaining herself by watching some cheesy romance film. Tikki had always been a sucker for romance. The cheesier the better. Cheese always brought back good memories.

But just as the girl was about to confess her feelings to her true love, the channel switched to an emergency news broadcast. Tikki sighed sadly in disappointment.

The anchorwoman appeared on screen, Tikki knew her, but could never remember her name. But she did have a very...lively daughter.

"We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news. A larger than life cat fight has broken out on the south side of the city. Chat Noir appears to be fighting another cat akuma, and blood has been shed. With still no sign of Ladybug, police have cleared out the area." The camera cut to a white Chat Noir standing over a limp black one. Blood stains drenched the white suit, and yowls of pain could be heard. The black cat lunged up weakly with his claws, seizing the opportunity to sink into his throat. Tikki gave a cry of terror. "Marinette! Wake up!"

* * *

Ladybug's heart was pounding almost painfully in her chest. She didn't know what was happening. The bloody,black cat on the news was not her Chat Noir. He was gentle and caring. He would never hurt anyone. Her yoyo flew from her hand almost as fast as it returned as she flew through the city. She had to get there before it was too late. Before there was damage that even _she_ couldn't repair.

* * *

Chat held on tight to the akuma's neck, staring intently in his eyes as he waited for the rings power to take effect. But where anything else would've been left to dust and rubble in moments, the white cat simply grinned wickedly, completely unharmed. From where Chat's hand was planted on the villans throat, streaks of black webbed out like veins under his suit. Chat Blanc's grin widened. They swiftly flowed down his shoulder and through his arm as if drawn by some sort of magnet. The gold ring on his finger glowed, and absorbed the streams of black.

His eyes shone with energy. "Oh come on!" he laughed. "Did you honestly think that would work? I'm Chat Blanc for God's sake. I'm immune to your destruction, you idiot. I absorb it."

Chat Noir stared up at him in disbelief. _No._

He sank his claws into Chat's chest, drawing him roughly to his face. "I was right about you. You just tried to kill me." he held up his glowing ring on his other hand. "Seems only fair that I return the favor."

Chat Noir panted, no longer feeling the pain from the claws embedded in his chest. "I… I didn't...I'm sorry...I-"

"Don't you dare say that you're "sorry". I know damn well you're not," Chat blanc hissed dangerously. "You never think about any of the consequences of your reckless actions!"

He threw Chat against the wall of the alley one last time. His back hit the bricks with a sickening thud. He crashed motionless to the ground. Chat Blanc strut towards him, the stolen cataclysm danced darkly between his clawed fingers.

Blood spilled into his eyes, and he struggled to focus. But his vision was blackening, and his body screamed at him to give up and rest. It was a lost cause. He tried to think of his Lady as his eyes fluttered closed. He thought of her bluebell eyes, her bright and carefree laugh. The way her hair was always in pigtails. It all seemed familiar to him, as memories from his life began shooting through his mind. He had seen all of these things somewhere else. But where?

His consciousness slowly faded, and Chat thought of nothing more.

* * *

Something wet hit his face. Once, twice, three times. He was desperate to figure out what, but his eyes refused to open. A thousand questions rushed through his mind as more of him came to. Where was he? What had happened to him? There was a voice somewhere close. A painfully familiar voice that he simply couldn't place. It was broken. Pleading. He wanted nothing more than to comfort it. He was being held by someone, he noticed after he felt himself be moved. Was it his mother?

Something buried itself in his neck, the cries were closer now, louder. His jaw and throat quickly became sticky and wet.

"Please wake up," the voice seemed to be sobbing now. "Please don't leave me, Chat. I'm so sorry. I wasn't here and this happened to you. Please wake up."

Chat Noir pried open his eyes, his vision slightly blurry. He saw red. Red and black.

"L-ady…?" he rasped.

The girl wrapped around him jerked up. But her eyes were firmly squinted shut and did not open. "Chat!" her hands blindly went out and felt at his face. "I was so scared you were gone. I was able to restore everything and heal you but then you didn't wake up and it felt like such a nightmare." more tears leaked out of her closed eyes, her voice cracked. "I almost didn't get here in time." her voice was a mere whisper. " I almost lost you."

"Why won't you open your eyes?" he asked, somewhat afraid of her response.

She wiped her tears and sniffled. "You uh, you used your cataclysm. Your transformation fell."

Sure enough, Adrien looked down to see himself, perfectly fine in his civilian clothes. Plagg sat silently on his shoe, looking at him with an expression he couldn't read.

"Your kwami told me it was okay to stay with you."

"Oh," was all Adrien could muster. "Won't you turn back soon too?"

Her hand darted up to her earrings, which Adrien could see had two spots left.

"Yes. But I needed to make sure you would be okay."

Despite the circumstances, Adrien felt warmth in his chest at seeing how much she really did care for him. But it was short lived. Memories from the fight had been fighting for his focus since he woke up, and his resolve to ignore them was weakening. He swallowed. "What happened to Chat Blanc?"

Ladybug shifted almost uncomfortably. "His name is Felix. And he's fine. My lucky charm healed him as well." She said nothing else.

"Ladybug, what-,"

She stood up aburptly. "I have to go," she said almost sorrowfully. "Keep him safe, Plagg."

He watched as she grabbed her yoyo. Within a moment, she was gone.

Plagg floated up grimly, not looking at him in the eye. "Let's go home, kid. We need to talk."


	7. No Turning Back Now

Adrien clutched his sides tightly as he trudged down the sidewalk,trying to give himself a small sense of comfort. The walk home was long. Chat Noir could have easily shortened the trip, but Plagg had firmly told him not to transform. The kwami was uncharacteristically silent, peeking out of Adrien's breast pocket and staring blankly in front of them. Adrien swallowed hard. The ring pinched slightly at his finger, and he tried his best to ignore it. But the anxiety bubbling in his stomach remained. He replayed the fight with Chat Blanc over and over, unable to figure out what had happened. He wasn't himself, of that he was sure. In his right mind, he'd never use his cataclysm on a victim.

Would he?

* * *

Adrien balled his hands into fists. He could do this. It was just a piece of glass, and all he had to do was look at it. He could prove none of this was real, all he had to do was face his reflection.  
He turned his face to his bathroom mirror, eyes squinted shut.

Slowly, he opened one eye.

The boy in the mirror held his same tense expression.  
Cautiously, he opened the other eye.

His reflection followed, staring at him with the same worried look he wore himself.

Was it...ok? Was everything fine now?

His fingers found their way to his miraculous, which suddenly felt tighter upon contact. He tugged on it gently, and the ring refused to yield.

"It's pointless, you know," a voice called from behind him.

He whirled around with a yelp towards the sound. "Marinette?" he gasped out. "How did you get in here?"

He rubbed his hands against his eyes. Was he imagining this, too?

There she was, peeking around the wall of his shower, grinning at him devilishly. "I have my ways, Kitty."

Wait. Kitty? He turned back to the mirror, seeing his alter ego in his place. His heart slammed in panic.

"It's pointless," she said again. "You won't be able to get that ring off. At least on not your own."

Chat stared at her nervously, watching as she began to step out of the shower, adorned in nothing but a towel. He averted his eyes.  
"W-what do you mean?"

He flinched as he saw the towel drop out of the corner of his eyes, deciding it was probably best to close them.

However, she seemed unphased. "It's becoming corrupted. You'll have to fix it before it can be removed."

An icy weight settled in his stomach. "How do you know about my ring?"

He heard her footsteps getting closer, he squeezed his eyes as tight as they would go.  
"So many questions," her voice was soft, right in his ear. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course, but-"

"No 'buts', Chaton," she ran a hand along his shoulder. He flinched. "Just trust me."

She was in front of him now, hands gently cradling his face. "Open your eyes."

"No, I respect you too much. It wouldn't be right for me to see you like that."

She hummed. "Why would it be wrong?"

Chat swallowed, trying to pull away from her grasp. "Because I would enjoy it."

She giggled lightly, coming ever closer. He felt her warm breath on his lips.  
Marinette lightly kissed the side of his jaw. "C'mon, Kitty. Have you ever been able to deny me anything?"

All the blood in his body suddenly had a very different agenda.

Her smell was everywhere, intoxicating him and weakening his resolve. Her hands roamed his chest at an agonizing pace. "M-mari."

She continued to slowly pepper his jaw with kisses, making her way down to his throat. "I'm here," she mumbled desperately into his skin. "I've been here all along. You just have to open your eyes."

He felt her lips work their way back up to his mouth, her tongue lightly licking his flesh.  
Chat couldn't take it anymore. Blindly, he yanked his arms up from their place at his sides and grasped her face, sloppily slamming his lips on hers. She sighed in delight, but he still kept his eyes closed.  
He held her as close as he could, hands roaming her bared skin. He damned his suit, preventing him from finding out if her skin was as soft as it looked.  
Chat scooped her up in his arms, one eye peeking open to locate the sink and counter.

He swiftly moved them towards it, pointedly avoiding looking at their reflection in the mirror. He sat her down softly, never separating his lips from hers. Her fingers tangled deliciously in his hair, pulling him down and deeper. He pulled away to kiss along her jawline, playing copycat to her earlier ministrations. She moaned in his ear and it was the most beautiful sound he ever heard.

He needed to hear it again.

Chat moved down to her neck, nipping and sucking as her little sounds ebbed him on. "I want you." he heard himself growl.

She laughed breathlessly. "Then what are you waiting for? I'm all yours."

Finally he pulled back, eyes wide open.

Marinette sat before him, gazing at him with half lidded eyes, swollen lips and a flushed face.

She was completely exposed to him. But there was something different about her.

On her face, she donned a very familiar spotted, black and red mask.

"M'lady?" he gasped in disbelief. "Is that you?"

"I'm whoever you want me to be, Chat," she giggled again. "Because I'm not real."

"W-what?" his eyes whirled back to the mirror, finding the surroundings behind him slowly fading away.

"It's all in your head, silly cat." she spoke, teasing grin still in place.

"What are you talking about?" he asked again, desperation leaking into his voice. The world around him spiraling away.

She winked coyly. "Don't worry, you'll figure it out."

He grabbed her hands. "Please don't leave, Mari."

The girl suddenly turned serious, desperation leaking into her gaze. The spotted mask melted away. "It will all be fine, I promise. Just don't give up control. Don't stop fighting."

'Wait! Please!"

But it was too late, she had already disappeared into his ring.

* * *

Adrien woke with a strangled cry, the silver ring throbbing on his finger.

Plagg was by his side in a moment, a unreadable expression resting in his features.

For a long moment, neither said a word.

Finally Plagg turned away with a sigh, landing limply on Adrien's unused pillow.  
"You have to stop, kid." his voice sounded heavy with worry and something else Adrien couldn't place. "You have to stop before it's too late."

Adrien's heart slammed in his ribs. He didn't think he wanted the answer, but some part of him was certain he already knew what it would be. "Stop what?"

"You can't be Chat Noir anymore." his voice sounded watery. "I won't let it take you too."

"W-what? Plagg, you can't be serious! Ladybug needs me."

Plagg huffed. "You won't be any good to her if this keeps up."

Adrien sucked in a breath, blood feeling more like ice. "What do you mean?"

Plagg finally turned around to face him. "The ring. It isn't safe anymore. You saw how it changed you yesterday. You can't even take it off, can you?"

The boy didn't answer.

The kwami smirked bitterly. "That's what I thought. It's already got a tight hold on you. It will only get worse if you keep using it."  
Adrien nervously held his hand as far away from him as he could. "Can't you fix it?"

"Don't you think I would have if I could? I can only make it worse." he snapped. "Why do you think I don't want you to transform? Only you can fix this."

Relief flooded through him. So there was a cure. "How?"

"You have to combat the negativity inside of you. You have to control your anger, your fear, your self-doubt, everything. You have to find a balance. Eventually, when you've got that down, you should be able to take it off. With some help from Ladybug's miraculous, that will restore the balance between creation and destruction and fix the ring. It's nearly impossible to do at this point however, the ring already has so much influence." Plagg's gaze fell downward, Adrien finally recognized his mysterious emotion as guilt.

"I can do that," Adrien chewed his lip, slowly processing the new info.

"It's not as easy as it sounds," the kwami warned. "You have so much fighting against you. You can't do it alone."

"Who could I possibly ask to help with this? No one besides Ladybug could even begin to understand but I can't contact her if I can't transform."

"Marinette." Plagg replied firmly.

"You've got to be kidding, Plagg. I've already asked for too much from her. I can't ask her to carry this with me. How am I even going to explain it to her if I can't be Chat Noir?"

A suspicious gleam appeared in the kwami's green eyes. "Leave that to me, kid. After school today, you guys are going on a date."

* * *

"If this goes to hell, I'm blaming you." Adrien growled, pulling the black hoodie a little further down his face. "I look like I'm about to mug someone."

"Oh, stop your whining. It's gonna be fine. I've got this under control."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "What am I even supposed to do?"

"The practice boyfriend thing was your idea, kid. You just have to learn to open up and talk to people. Let people be there for you."

"I open up to Nino," he argued.

"Yea, as Adrien. You need to open up to someone as Chat Noir. You have Chat Noir problems to work out."

"You want her to be my therapist?"

Plagg squinted up at him in annoyance. "Yes, Adrien. Because any friend you feel comfortable talking to about personal stuff is a therapist."

"Whatever, cheese breath."

"Besides," the kwami smirked evilly. "Wanting to make out with your therapist is just weird."

Adrien tripped.

* * *

Marinette wasn't sure what she was feeling.

The fight yesterday had shaken her to her core. It had nearly been fatal and _she had been sleeping._ Some Ladybug she was. Tikki had told her that it wasn't her fault, she couldn't have known it would happen. She's human. She can't be on guard all the time. But it didn't ease her conscience. Waking up today felt like sandpaper. Everything about her felt rough and scratchy and her heart throbbed with every move.

Unbalanced, she decided. She felt unbalanced. Her whole world was tipped painfully to its side, and she had no idea how to set it right again.

She did her best to smile at Alya's attempts to perk her up, but her friend's jabs at Chloe and gushes at Adrien (he was _definitely_ staring at her all through lunch.) were just draining. She'd love to just be left alone.

She almost didn't notice it when it fell from her locker,white and fluttering gently to the ground like a purified akuma. Absently, she picked it up from the floor. Tikki peeked out from her purse to get a closer look. "What is that, Mari?" she asked.

Marinette unfolded the paper. "I think it's a note."

_Princess,_

_What would you say to another date? Meet me in the park by the carousel at sunset. Dinner will be provided. I think I owe you some explaining._

_-CN_

Marinette swallowed,sharing a worried look with Tikki. She wanted to see him again,of course she did. But as much as she hated to admit it, she was scared. Something was wrong with her partner. Something had broken inside him and left deadly, jagged pieces in its wake. She loved and needed him, they completed each other. But she didn't want either of them to take a wrong step and get cut by his shards.

* * *

Adrien shifted nervously in the giant black hoodie,hands deep in his pockets. What if she didn't come? What if she didn't get the note? Or worse, what if she came and _recognized_ him?

The hoodie dipped down over his eyes, and he had to fight the temptation to flick it off his head completely. Plagg had suggested buying black makeup, and he smeared the chalky powder over his face where his mask usually was. He realised afterwards that the dark eyeshadow he had selected had a certain sparkle to it, reminding him a the shitty vampire movies Chloe had made him watch when they were kids. He rolled his eyes, which looked very odd surrounded by black but lacking their cat like appearance.

He glanced at his phone. _7:03 pm._

The sun had set at least twenty minutes ago, leaving a dull blue glow on the horizon. He glanced at the basket of food he'd brought with him, feeling terribly stupid.

"Who are we kidding, Plagg? She's not coming. Not after what happened yesterday."

"Chat? Is...Is that you?"

Adrien jumped in surprise, whipping around towards the voice.

There she stood, wearing an adorable pink wool coat with white fur trim. A matching hat covered her head and that's when Adrien noticed he hair was free from its usual pigtails, and fell loose over her shoulders.

Deep concern was carved into her face as she gazed at him. Fear danced her eyes.

Adrien felt like she had stabbed him.

She was afraid. She was afraid of _him._

It took everything in him not to run away. He pulled the hood lower. "Yea, Mari. It's me."

She took a nervous step back. "Why aren't you transformed?"

He stared hard at the ground. "I...can't. Not for awhile anyway."

Marinette clutched at her purse strap. "Why?"

"It's just not safe right now. But I promise I'm perfectly okay as long as I'm not transformed. You don't have to be scared.

She stared into his eyes, concealed by the shadows. She could not see them, but she knew full well they could see her. "I'm not scared, Chat."

He stared back at her in surprise. How could she not see him as a monster?

"For myself, anyway," she continued. "I'm scared for you. There's something you're not telling me."

Adrien looked away again. "There are a lot of things I'm not telling you."

She looked at him expectantly.

Seamlessly, he slapped on his Chat Noir charm. He offered his arm. "Come with me, little lady. I believe I owe you another lesson. We can't let your prince slip away, now can we?"

Her face scrunched in confusion, and she hesitantly stepped forward and slipped her hand through the crook of his elbow. She tried to resist the urge to reach up and pull of the hood and wipe the dark makeup from his face. As much as she told him otherwise, she wondered about his true identity often. Who was this mystery boy? He had so many layers to him. Everytime she thought she had him figured out, he'd whip around and surprise her with something entirely new, and yet entirely him at the same time. She had no feelings towards him except fondness, of course, but he was enticing in a way that would make anyone wonder.  
He lead her towards a nearby tree, where quilts were neatly folded and basket sat waiting.

"Lesson two," he spoke. "Learn what you should expect from your prince and the treatment you deserve."

He gently detached himself from her, and strode ahead towards the tree. He reached for the first quilt and unfolded it. He gave it a few shakes, then draped it across the ground. He gestured a welcoming hand towards it. "Please, sit down."

Unable to resist a small smile, she stepped onto the blanket and sat down. Adrien grabbed another blanket and softly laid it on her shoulders. She glanced up at him, a broad smile at seeing the return of her Chat. He smiled back, and there was something undoubtedly loving leaking from his hidden features.

Marinette looked away shyly.

He sat down next to her and pulled the last quilt around himself. "Anyone worthy of your time will always take care of you first. Never settle for anything less."

He opened the basket and handed her a plate.

"Thank you."

"He should always put your needs before his." he began to load her plate with bread, cheese and fruit. "He needs to listen to you, respect you and make every decision an "us" decision and not a "me" decision. He needs to honor it when you say yes," he looked at her intently. "And even more importantly, he needs to honor it when you say no. It doesn't matter what it is."

He placed some food on his own plate, sneaking a piece of cheese into his pocket for Plagg.

"You deserve someone who will cancel plans for you. Someone who will be there for you, just I know you would for them. You deserve someone who will love you as much as you'll love them. Do you understand, Mari? You are far too wonderful to settle for anything less."

The moon shone perfectly on her face, revealing blue eyes that were brighter than normal, and faint sparkles running down her cheeks. Without warning, she set her plate aside and all but flew into his arms. Her face was buried in his neck, and she clung to him like a lifeline. Stunned, Adrien set down his plate as well, slowly wrapping his arms around her shaking form. She began to sob, nearly choking on her words. "I was so scared, Chat. I was so scared. I thought you were gone. The news said Ladybug was almost too late to save you."

Adrien winced, damning the news for giving every little detail of every single fight. He pulled her close to him and leaned against the tree, tugging his blanket around both of them in a safe little cocoon. "It's alright, Mari. I'm fine. I won't leave you."

He sighed. Plagg could suck a bag of cheese dicks. There was no way in hell he was going to burden this girl with something that had nothing to do with her. He'd already done enough.

She continued to cry as he held her, gently stroking her hair and whispering whatever words of comfort he could think of, their food long forgotten.

"Everything is alright, Mari. I promise."

Her cries slowly quieted, and her shaking stilled. Adrien soon realized with a pang in his heart that she had fallen asleep. It seemed a sin to wake her, and one that Adrien couldn't make himself commit.


	8. Come One, Come All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay! I wish I could say I'll be on a better updating schedule but knowing me, that would be rather stupid. But I'll try to make up for it with a double update.

Marinette gave a happy twirl in front of the mirror. Her Valentine dress had been a huge success in her humble opinion, and she'd finished it with two days to spare.

Tikki flew in excited circles around her head. "It's so beautiful, Marinette! _You're_ so beautiful!"

Marinette giggled, and held out her hand for her kwami to land on. She planted a light kiss on the little creature's forehead before glancing at the mirror again to admire her handiwork.

The lace gauntlets had given her fits, and the delicate fabric had torn when she tried to correct her errors. She was only too grateful to Chat for buying far more than she told him to, even if she did feel guilty for how much he'd probably spent. She had to admit, though cocky at times, Chat was nothing short of a true gentleman.

Humming, she placed Tikki down on her vanity and grabbed the black nylons and blood red pumps that were places neatly on her ottoman. She had found the shoes two weeks ago on sale and couldn't believe her luck. The shoe was a solid red, except for the skinny heel, which was black and embedded with red rhinestones. The color was a near perfect match. She sat down on the ottoman, placing the shoes on the floor in front of her. She slowly pulled the tights on, wincing slightly when they snagged on her thumbnail. Thoughtfully, she stared at her face in the mirror. She had never been very good at makeup, her clumsiness came with a vengeance and sent the mascara wand straight into her eye more times than she could count. She had decided her eyelashes were good enough natural and going to the party with bloodshot and watery eyes was just not worth it. Instead, she resorted to just a touch of bright red lipstick to tie everything together. She nodded in approval. She was ready to go.

* * *

"I hate you," Adrien spoke decisively. "You know that, right? I really think I hate you."

"Yea, yea whatever." Plagg responded, completely unbothered. "You'll thank me later."

"Even for the cat ears?"

"Especially for the cat ears. They really add to your sex appeal. No mortal girl will be able to resist."

Remarkably, the kwami kept a straight face which almost made his last statement believable. And Adrien supposed anyone who didn't know the little god might truly think he only had good intentions.

The boy groaned in annoyance as Plagg began wallowing in his hair to give him that _Chat Noir_ signature look. The kwami insisted he attend the party as his alter ego, and try again to get closer to Marienette. Adrien had been skeptical, even more so when Plagg revealed what he was to wear. It was a black suit with a neon green handkerchief in the breast pocket, which was all well and good, but the black masquerade mask Plagg had picked seemed awkward, not to mention the cat ear hair clips he'd been forced to buy.

It was just weird being Chat without the miraculous. Everything was just…wrong.

"How am I supposed to sneak out if I'm not Chat? I'm still grounded from anything besides school for missing that show, remember?"

Plagg smirked. "You are Chat Noir. You always have been. How do you normally sneak out?"

Adrien looked at his windows and sighed.

* * *

Alya had truly outdone herself. The park looked as if it had marched right out of a fairytale. Heart shaped lanterns were strung from tree to tree, marking the perimeters. Tables of all shapes and sizes were scattered around with bright pink and red tablecloths. Marinette snickered to herself, only guessing how many of their friends had been raided of their chairs and tables. Marinette's parents had kindly donated two chairs and a fold up table from the bakery.

A tiny squeak of delight came from her black clutch purse, Tikki peaking out and eating up their surroundings with excited eyes.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

The kwami nodded wordlessly.

Alya stood in the center area, which looked to be the dance floor. She was talking to Nino at his DJ table and the boy looked somewhat scared. She handed him a slip of paper and he took it, nodding near frantically. Marinette supposed she should save the poor guy.

"Hi, Alya!"

Said girl whipped her head from Nino, much to his relief, and her face broke into a wide grin. "Mari! You're here early, thank God! I need help setting up the food. Come on!"

Alya rushed towards her friend, skipping formalites and drug her by the hand to the tables, boxes from her bakery stacked high and waited to be arranged.

"Tell your parents thanks again for catering. I feel really bad they wouldn't let me pay."

Marinette brushed it off. "Oh, it's our pleasure! You should have seen how excited they were to try out those new recipes. You're family now. Don't sweat it."

Alya gave her friend a beaming smile. "Either way, tell them thanks. And speaking of thanks," she continued, her voice taking on a coy edge. "I have the perfect thank you gift for you, because I _know_ how hard you worked helping them."

Marinette gulped. "Uh, you didn't-"

"Oh shush, girl! You're gonna love this. Me and Nino came up with a perfect plan to get you a dance with Adrien!"

"W-what? Adrien? He's coming?"

"Of course. You knew that. He texted me weeks ago."

"I just didn't know he was _still_ coming, with everything that happened with his dad and him disappearing and the press I thought he was laying low and not going to any social ev-"

Kindly, Alya smacked a hand to her friend's mouth, cutting off her babble.

"Do you wanna hear our plan? It's super easy."

Marinette nodded, cheeks pink.

"Awesome! So when Nino gives us the signal by playing _La Vie en Rose_ , I'm going to ask Adrien if he wants to dance with the host. Meanwhile, Nino is gonna take a break from DJing, and ask _you_ for a dance. We dance for a short while, and then Nino taps Adrien and asks to dance with me, and seamlessly trades you off to Adrien. It's foolproof! And it's a short song, so there won't even be enough time for you to mess it up." Alya smiled proudly. "Any questions?"

Timidly, Marinette raised her hand.

Alya rolled her eyes. _And so it begins._

* * *

By the time Adrien arrived, the party was in full swing. He ducked out of sight in a nearby bush to absurve. Marinette seemed to be having the time of her life, effortlessly gliding across the dance floor. His heart gave a painful lurch. She was nothing short of radiant. She was dancing with Juleka and her brother. What was his name? Lucus? Luke? Whatever. It didn't matter,

Marinette had his full attention.

"Well, what are you waiting for? An invitation? Because you got one. Like weeks ago."

Adrien pushed the kwami back into his suit jacket. "In a minute, Plagg. I wanna watch."

With a twinge of guilt, Marinette let Luka lead her to the center of the floor and gently took her into his arms for the next song. It was slow and romantic and Marinette wanted to hate every second of it. But she couldn't. She'd only just met him a few months ago at the music festival, and had not seen him much since, but he was kind and sweet and loved Jagged Stone. He almost made her forget that Adrien had not shown up.

Luka made her feel things no one but Adrien ever had. _Well, him and Chat._

Wait.

Where had that come from? Chat was only her friend.

Shaking the thought away, she shyly glanced up at her dance partner. He was looking at her with a gaze that made her heart melt into a gooey red puddle. From across the floor at a table, Alya winked. Marinette looked at the ground again.

Hidden from view, Adrien did the same.

At least he knew who her prince was.

* * *

"I can't believe he didn't show," Marinette spoke sadly as she gathered plastic punch cups from the grass. "I really wanted to see him."

"I'm just sorry I didn't see his text sooner. I didn't realize my phone had died," Nino said apologetically from his DJ booth. "Did you have an okay time anyway, Mari?"

She smiled. "Yes, I did. I got to know Luka a lot better. He's really sweet."

Alya chuckled, walking by with a full trash bag. "Oh yea, it looked like you were having a _great_ time."

"You did dance nearly every song with him," Nino added, picking another playlist, warm music floated through the air.

"Mhmmmmmm. Anyway, do you need help getting you stuff home, girl?"

"Yea, that would be great! I don't trust myself to carry a table in the dark. Even a fold up one!"

"No prob! My mom said she'd come pick us all up in her car after work. I'm gonna go call her and see if she's ready. We can fit the rest of the stuff in her trunk. Ugh, the service her is shit. I'll be right back. Nino, come with me. I may need to sit on your shoulders. I hate our phone company so much. We'll be right back, Mari.'

Marinette nodded, continued cleaning the park. She was nearly done when a painfully familiar tune came from Nino's speakers.

_Des yeux qui font baisser les miens,_

_Un rire qui se perd sur sa bouche,_

_Volia le portrait sans retouche_

_De l'homme auquel J'appartiens…._

Her heart sank. It had been lovely spending the evening with Luka, but she'd be lying if she said she hadn't had her hopes up to dance with Adrien.

_Quand il me prend dans ses bras…_

Still in the shadows, Adrien watched as Marinette swayed gently with the song. He hadn't meant to spend the whole party on the sidelines, but after seeing Mari and Luka, something had hurt and glued him to the spot.

_Qu'il me parle tout bas…_

Still, it was more painful to watch her dancing all alone to such a beautiful old love song. Shaking slightly, he rose to his feet.

_Je vois la vie en rose…_

He quietly approached her, her eyes were closed and she didn't see him.

"Princess?" he asked softly, his voice had a hint rasp.

She instantly whirled in his direction, face flushed in embarrassment. She squinted at him.

"Chat?"

"May I have this dance?" he stepped forward and bowed, offering his hand.

Wordlessly, she took it, and he wasted no time pulling her close and whisking her across the dance floor.

_Il est entre mon coeur, une part de bonheur..._

"What are you doing here all dressed up?" she asked him.

"Well, I couldn't leave a beautiful lady alone on the dancefloor, could I? Chivalry isn't completely dead, you know."

With a gentle laugh, she leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. His hold on her waist tightened.

_Dont je connais la cause_

_C'est lui pour moi_

_Moi pour lui dans la vie_

_Il me l'a dit, l'a jure pour la vie_

Adrien had been to plenty of dances and balls in his life. He'd had dance lessons since he was three. But as they glided across the floor, perfectly in sync, he decided this was the best partner he'd ever had. He twirled her, and her normal clumsiness had completely vanished. She effortlessly spun back into him, and he dipped her in a deep bow. She fell into him perfectly, those bright, blue eyes staring up at him and piercing straight into his soul.

_Un grand bonheur qui prend sa place_

_Des enuis des chagrins, s'effacent_

_Heureux, heureux à en mourir_

He lifted her slowly, her smile was blinding. He grinned back and lead her into a waltz. She looked down intently at their feet, trying to make her footwork match his. Adrien made his movements deliberate and easy for her to follow. She got the hang of the sweeping steps quickly, and gave a excited giggle when she did.

_Quand il me prend dans ses bra_

_Il me parle tout bas_

"Chat?"

"Yea?"

"Thank you. For everything."

And as she met his gaze once more, genuine affection in her eyes, Adrien's heart snapped.

At that moment, he realized he loved her. Really and truly, with everything he had. He loved her.

_Je vois la vie en rose_

* * *

"Marinette?" Alya called, worry in her tone. "Are you alright?"

Marinette backed away from Adrien, waving to her friend. "I'm fine! Look who showed up!"

Alya and Nino stopped dead in their tracks, staring at Chat in confusion.

"Chat Noir?" Alya asked.

"Yep!" Mari chirped. "He came fashionably late, as usual."

"Hey!" Chat cried, affronted.

"Why aren't you...you know, in costume?" Nino spoke up.

"I, uh, wanted to dress up." he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Oh."

"Well you sure do look like Chat, even without the mask. But isn't coming out in a normal costume risky?"

Chat shrugged.

Alya wasn't buying it. "How do we know you aren't some rando in a party mask?"

Quietly, Nino slipped away. He wasn't about to stick around for his girlfriend's oncoming outburst. "I'm gonna wait for your mom," he mumbled to her, but she didn't hear.

"It is! I'd know the real Chat Noir anywhere." Marinette defended. "It's definitely him. He just can't use his superpowers right now."

Adrien smiled gratefully.

Alya studied them both. "Okay, quiz. What is the one question you never give me a straight answer on in my interviews?"

Adrien groaned. "If me and Lady are dating."

"Good. How did you save my life when Stoneheart attacked?"

"I saved you twice. With my staff."

She nodded in approval. "Whaddya know? It is you. Anyway my mom is gonna be here soon, we gotta pack up."

* * *

Adrien watched as his friends got into Alya's family car, and slipped away back into the shadows. "There, can I take these off, Plagg? It's dark and no one is here."

The kwami flew out wearily. "Doesn't matter to me."

Adrien pulled off the mask and the ears, and sighed in relief. "Well, tonight wasn't a total loss. Right, Plagg?"

Plagg didn't reply, instead stared in panic somewhere to Adrien's left. "Plagg?"

Something hit the ground with a thud.

Adrien whirled around. And there, with her jaw to the ground she'd dropped a box of party decorations on, stood Alya. Backing away, betrayal written on her face, she bolted away.

Adrien's blood turned to ice.


	9. Almost, Almost

Alya didn't show up to school the next day. She didn't answer his texts either. Adrien glanced over his shoulder at her empty seat with a knot in his stomach.

He knew she wouldn't tell anyone. That wasn't what he was worried about. The hurt in her face was plastered across his mind's eye. He was reminded of all the times he'd lied her face, all the times he hid the truth. She'd never been anything but a good friend to him.

Now she'd probably hate him until the day she died. Ladybug and Chat Noir gave her life meaning. She was trustworthy. He should have told her.

Marinette sat alone, but seemed unbothered. As far as she knew, Alya was just sick.

"I'm taking some of Papa's ratatouille to her after school," she had told him and Nino at lunch. "Wanna come with?"

Nino had readily agreed, but Adrien quickly thought up an excuse. He was pretty sure Alya wanted nothing to do with him.

_Hey, Alya._

_I just want to apologise again. I'm really sorry I didn't tell you I was, well you know. But if it makes you feel better, no one else knows. Not even Ladybug. You're the first. I trust you not to tell anyone. It could put a lot of people at risk. Anyway, call me if you get the chance._

_**Read 11:47pm** _

* * *

"Oh yes, of course you're going to cry about it, Ana. Everything always has to be about you."

"I can't help it. I'm sor-"

"Don't give me that "I'm sorry" bullshit. Everytime I try to talk to you about anything that bothers me, you burst into tears! You're too sensitive."

"I'm sorry, Raquelle. I really am. I love you. I want to be there for you, it's just hard. My meds aren't working-"

Raquelle huffed. "Again with the excuses? I can't do this with you anymore, Anastasie. How can I be with someone who can't even handle the simplest things?"

Anastasie glanced up at the other girl in panic. "Please don't leave me." her voice trembled.

Raquelle gave her a sobering look. "This time, I'm the one who's sorry."

Without another word, she stood up and left the sobbing girl alone at the base of the carousel in a unintentional butterfly effect.

* * *

The drive home was particularly bleak. All Adrien had to look forward to was a boring dinner with a bunch of equally boring rookie fashion designers his father had seen potential in.

Adrien used to have a choice as to attend these dinners, but Gabriel decided he'd been too lenient if Adrien couldn't take an anniversary show seriously.

He supposed he should count himself lucky, at least he was still permitted to go to school, even if hanging out with friends was out of the equation.

Adrien had learned at a young age to count his blessings.

The car stopped in front of the Agreste mansion, and he slid out of his seat with a muttered thanks.

The house was cold and empty as always, all doors closed, rooms isolated. If Adrien didn't know better, he would have thought no one lived here at all.

"Welcome home, Adrien. I trust you had a good day?" Natalie spoke from the top of the stairs, eyes never leaving her tablet.

"Yes, Natalie."

"Excellent. Your father would like you to be ready for dinner in an hour. The outfit he has chosen for you is in your room."

"Thanks."

Sighing, he walked passed her and continued to his room, closing the door behind him.

He flopped onto his bed, turning in his phone to check it for the hundredth time that day. Nothing. He stared wistfully at the ceiling.

"Well that's it, Plagg. Alya will never talk to me again. Why do I ruin everything I touch?"

Plagg settled down on his forehead, curling up in his bangs. "The ring." He replied simply. "It triggers bad luck when it's corrupted ."

Adrien had already figured that out, but it had a deeper sting hearing it out loud.

Neither said anything more.

* * *

_The pain of a broken heart should never be underestimated. It can twist something beautiful into something fiercely dark. It fogs the mind and influences the judgement. Its power is equal to love, and neither can exist without the other. But when out of balance, it becomes that of a nightmare. A nightmare that will serve my purpose perfectly._

_You shall get your revenge, Crybaby. On your lover and all who have looked down upon you. Your emotions are a strength. You will prove that to them. All you must do is one simple thing for me in return._

"Name it."

* * *

Ladybug coughed and sputtered as another flooding tear fell from above.

The wailing was heart wrenching, but she knew she must not be fooled. The colorfully dressed girl was definitely an akuma.

The tears came down like a waterfall, and were thick like jelly.

They had a mind of their own, grabbing onto her and pulling downward, trying to drown her.

The akuma herself seemed rather childish, hair drawn up in twin pigtails, one pink and one blue. She wore a simple, blue and white short sleeve dress that reached her knees. Pink and blue striped tights adorned her legs, but she wore no shoes. And at the top of her head was a single black hair bow.

That's where Ladybug hoped the akuma was.

The girl continued to cry angrily, shouting nonsense and names Lady didn't recognize. She swung up onto the tower with her yoyo, a trail of tears creeping up behind her.

Out of the Akuma's sight, Ladybug quickly dialed Chat.

"Come to the Eiffel Tower ASAP. I need you." she told his answering machine.

Of course he wasn't transformed. Why would he be? The news cars were just now arriving. If Marinette hadn't been at Alya's, who got an Akuma tip on the Ladyblog, she wouldn't have known either.

The Akuma referred to herself as Crybaby, which Marinette didn't really understand. It seemed a bit insulting. But she wasn't her to judge Hawkmoth's taste in villain names. Besides, it was fitting.

Suddenly, the cries grew louder. Ladybug whirled around. Crybaby was standing now, her tears flowed with dingy gray, inside of the crystal clear they had been before. Her eyes glowed a bright blue. She stared at Ladybug with a grin that made her heart twist in terror. And then she vanished into a puddle.

She appeared in front of her, Ladybug gasped, her start nearly causing her to fall.

The tears finally stopped. Her eyes no longer glowed. But the grin remained.

"Hello, Ladybug. Wanna play a game?"

Ladybug backed up slowly. There was something about this akuma that she'd never seen before. There was something more to her than just a desire for vengeance or anger. It was something truly dark. Something sinister.

Impulsively, Ladybug flung her yoyo at the Akuma, it wrapped around her before she winked and vaporized once more. The tears she became coiled around Lady.

"Tag, you're it."

* * *

"Adrien, listen to me. You can't transform. We don't know what it will do." Plagg pleaded, and it was the first time Adrien had ever heard the kwami sound scared.

"I have to. You saw that akuma. I can't let her fight alone."

"No! It's too risky."

Adrien gently took him into his hands and cradled him. "I'm sorry, Plagg. But you can't decide this for me."

He nuzzled the boy's thumb. "I know."

* * *

Ladybug was chasing a stream of water up the tower when he arrived. He raced to her as fast as he could, but he knew something was wrong. The ring squeezed his finger painfully in an icy grip. He swallowed. Maybe Plagg had been right. There was something dark present in his transformation that had not existed before. It was suffocating.

It took him longer to reach the top of the tower than it normally would have, but he still made it in time to pull her almost purple face from the tears.

She gasped and choked. She gave him an almost adoring look. "Glad you could join us."

He pulled out his staff. "I wouldn't miss it for anything. Any idea how to beat her?"

"No. Anytime I get close, she turns into...this." she pointed down and the giggling water at their feet.

It flowed and twisted, slowly taking shape. "Hello, Chat Noir." she spoke, grinning wider than seemed natural. "Have you come to play?"

His chest heaved. He could do this. It was just another akuma. He lunged with his staff, and just as Ladybug had said, she vanished into a puddle and rolled away in a small wave.

But she didn't stay in that state for long, instead quickly reforming into herself. Her eyes glowed much fainter than before.

"That's it!" Ladybug told him. "Transforming into water takes energy. If we keep getting her to go to a water state, she'll run out of strength."

Chat nodded, and watched as his lady flung her yoyo towards the villain, who swiftly collapse in on herself, and fell to the ground like rain.

As Ladybug suspected, she reformed almost instantly. Chat took a turn, swiping at her with his claws to the same result. They continued their false attacks, each time Crybaby reforming faster and faster until she could only transform a single body part at a time. That's when Ladybug struck. The black string of the yoyo twisted around her waist and yanked her forward, right into Chat Noir's waiting arms. Without missing a beat, he ripped the hair bow from her head, and she fell into a puddle with a cry of pain. She reformed on the safety railing of the tower and began sobbing again, her eyes glowed a dull blue as she put everything she had into those final tears.

What happened next was something Adrien was never really able to remember clearly. It was a memory that was clearest in nightmares and foggy when he woke up. But he never forgot how it felt. It was like having everything inside you drain out until you were nothing but a cold, empty shell.

He wasn't thinking. He didn't connect cause and effect. _Free and purify the akuma._ That was their job, wasn't it?

He hadn't noticed that stream had begun to retreat down the tower. He didn't she that she was no longer in a safe place. He didn't hear Ladybug screaming at him to wait.

He tore the black ribbon in two. The akuma escaped into the open air.

Then there was the scream. He ran the rails in time to see the water turn back into a normal person in a blackish blueish cloud. Her grip slipped. She began to fall. She stared up in terror, screaming for help. He jumped.

He fell through the sky after her, arms outreached. He would make it in time, he told himself. He had to.

The ground was rushing towards them, and Chat begged any deity willing to listen to _please let him reach her in time._

There was a sharp tug around his waist, swiftly stopping his descent. "No!" he screamed.

The girl looked below her, the earth coming up to greet her. She turned back to him, tears in her eyes. A small smile graced her lips. A smile of forgiveness.

The yoyo slowly pulled him up, he struggled against it. There was still time. He could still save her.

The sound would haunt him for the rest of his life. A sick, wet cracking. For a moment, everything was silent. He stared in horror where she now laid, bent at unnatural angles, blood steeped quickly to through her clothes and onto the ground around her. Her open eyes were now lifeless, but that small, barely-there smile still graced her lips.


End file.
